Springsteen, Morello and a sold-out crowd send a message to Washington — one month before midterms

At Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, Bruce Springsteen kicked off his set Saturday with a new song he called 'Streets of Minneapolis' — composed in the wake of the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents — urging a sold-out crowd: 'Let them hear you in Washington.' The message was the point. The inaugural 'Power to the People' festival, held exactly one month before midterm elections, was organized by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello as a one-day, two-stage event billed around 'peace, justice, solidarity, music and community action,' with an explicit push to drive voter turnout.

The festival's most unexpected subplot emerged after the event: spotted by fellow concertgoers and photographed in a black Springsteen T-shirt reading 'No Kings' was former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, whose appearance followed by days his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which he stood firmly behind the two prosecutions he brought against President Donald Trump. After the news organization Just the News publicized Smith's attendance, Trump responded on Truth Social, writing: 'Deranged Jack Smith is a Crooked Prosecutor! President DJT,' according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

On stage, the political messaging arrived early and often. For his second song, Springsteen brought out folk icon Joan Baez to share a duet of Bob Dylan's 'Chimes of Freedom.' A later collaboration united Springsteen, Morello, Dave Matthews and Nathaniel Rateliff for Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Fortunate Son.' Rapper Grandson took the stage to perform a song built around the refrain 'My president's a felon,' then turned to Dylan's 'Masters of War' for a cover. According to the Inquirer, the livestream broadcast went dark as Grandson introduced two actors portraying Jeffrey Epstein and Trump, connected by a leash.

The power and solidarity of the people of Minneapolis, of Minnesota, is an inspiration to the entire country. Their strength and their commitment told us that this is still America, and this will not stand. They gave us hope. They showed us courage.— Bruce Springsteen, musician

Morello opened his own set by blasting 'the fascists and the would-be dictators' and 'the oligarchs,' according to Fox News. Joining him afterward was System of a Down's Serj Tankian, the two pairing up for Audioslave's 'Like a Stone' as a tribute to the song's late frontman Chris Cornell. Chuck D, Run DMC and Flavor Flav followed for various covers; Morello and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl tackled Kiss's 'Rock and Roll All Nite.'

Much of the afternoon's conversation centered on comedian Jack Black, who took the stage in the persona of 'Jack Sabbath' and led a band of children — among them the sons of Morello and Anthrax's Scott Ian — through a set of Black Sabbath covers. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler then walked out to join the group for 'War Pigs,' a moment both outlets described as a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne. Rapper Killer Mike used his set to deliver a direct electoral appeal: 'Vote locally in thirty days. And hold the [expletive] you vote for accountable — on school boards, county commissions.'

Vote locally in thirty days. And hold the [obscenity] you vote for accountable — on school boards, county commissions … and when you do, don't have an ounce of fear or trepidation because this republic is ran by you.— Killer Mike, rapper

To close the festival, every performer gathered on stage to sing Woody Guthrie's 'This Land Is Your Land' — complete with all its original verses — before moving into John Lennon's 'Power to the People.' Joan Baez, who earlier in the day had joined Baez, Rateliff and Matthews for Guthrie's protest song 'Deportees,' described the event as a 'magnificent antidote.' Stephen Stills performed Buffalo Springfield's 'For What It's Worth' as the collaborations wound down.

Beyond the stage, a 'Freedom Village' on the festival grounds gave attendees access to a roster of nonprofit organizations including the ACLU, Farm Aid, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Oxfam and Indivisible — an organization Fox News reported is bankrolled by billionaire George Soros and has played a central role in organizing 'No Kings,' 'Tesla Takedown' and 'Hands Off' protests against Trump. Ticket proceeds benefited two nonprofits focused on voting: VoteRiders, a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) with $7.8 million in revenues per its last tax filing, and HeadCount, a New York City nonprofit with about $14 million in revenues, according to Fox News.

According to Fox News, the Power To The People Festival Fund is listed as a fiscally sponsored project of Catalyst Philanthropy Fund, a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2024 that reported $6.5 million in annual revenue in its most recent tax filing. Whether the nonprofits involved stray from allowable voter-engagement activity into partisan campaign intervention — conduct that federal tax law bars for 501(c)(3) organizations — was a question the outlet raised. Festival organizers did not respond to a request for comment, according to Fox News.

The festival was announced in May, around the same time several musical guests said they had backed out of 'The Great American State Fair,' America's 250th anniversary celebration, over its ties to President Trump, according to the Inquirer and The Independent. The timing — one month before midterms — was not lost on performers or attendees. 'I think the timing is a reminder that showing up matters,' performer Taylor Momsen told the Associated Press.

I think the timing is a reminder that showing up matters. I'm not here to tell anyone what to think or how to vote. I hope people leave feeling connected, inspired to care about the people around them, and reminded that we all have a part to play in our communities. If the festival can create that feeling, I think that's a win.— Taylor Momsen, musician

During the 2024 presidential race, Springsteen came out in support of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, and described Trump as 'the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime,' according to Fox News. Dave Matthews took part in the 2020 I Will Vote concert, which his official website promoted as backing Biden, Harris and Democrats down the ballot; he had also previously supported Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign. Festival DJ Shepard Fairey created the Obama 'Hope' poster and a 'Forward' image supporting Harris in 2024. At a 'No Kings' protest at the state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, organized by Indivisible and featuring anti-Trump activist Jane Fonda, Springsteen performed, and he also headlined a 'No Kings' event at the Target Center in Minneapolis, per Fox News.

Why it matters — With midterm elections 30 days away, the festival represents the most visible effort yet to translate celebrity audiences into electoral energy against Trump — and raises unresolved legal questions about the role of tax-exempt nonprofits in partisan political mobilization.

Reported by co.uk, independent.co.uk, inquirer.com, foxnews.com