Bruce Springsteen and a host of other musical artists gathered at the inaugural "Power to the People" festival in Columbia, Maryland, on Saturday to advocate for peace, justice, solidarity, and community action, with a strong emphasis on promoting voter turnout.
The festival, organized by Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, featured performances from artists like Joan Baez, Dave Matthews, Nathaniel Rateliff, Killer Mike, Jack Black, and Dropkick Murphys. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit organizations VoteRiders and HeadCount.
Many artists used their sets to voice political messages. Springsteen opened his performance with "Streets of Minneapolis," a song inspired by the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. He later performed Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom" with Joan Baez and joined Morello, Dave Matthews, and Nathaniel Rateliff for a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son."
Fans at the event also displayed messages of solidarity, with some wearing shirts that read "Immigrants Make America Great" and "No one is illegal on stolen land."
Adjacent to the performance stages, a "Freedom Village" offered attendees opportunities to engage with various nonprofits, including the ACLU, Farm Aid, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Oxfam.
The festival's timing, just one month before midterm elections, was highlighted by performers. "I think the timing is a reminder that showing up matters," said performer Taylor Momsen. "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."
Other artists amplified messages of political accountability and voting. Rapper Killer Mike urged the crowd to "Vote locally in thirty days. And hold the (expletive) you vote for accountable." During his set, Grandson performed a song with the refrain "My president's a felon" before covering Bob Dylan's "Masters of War." A livestream of his performance was briefly cut as he introduced actors portraying Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump.
The festival concluded with all performers joining together to sing Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and John Lennon's "Power to the People."
"This festival means that peace, love, and justice do not have to remain nouns," said attendee Evangeline Topete. "They can become verbs — things that we can all contribute to — when we come together and rock out in the name of anti-fascist, radical equality. Rock 'n' roll can save us. And so can giving the power where it belongs: to the people!"