Dropkick Murphys will join Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello and a wide lineup at Power to the People, a one-day, two-stage protest festival set for Oct. 3 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
Boston’s Dropkick Murphys are heading to Washington’s concert map—just not for a regular night out.
They’re among the newest additions to Power to the People, a one-day, two-stage festival set for Oct. 3 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, a month before the midterm elections. The event is billed around “freedom. justice. equality and rock ’n’ roll. ” and a portion of ticket proceeds will benefit VoteRiders and HeadCount.
Bruce Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello announced the festival Wednesday while performing together at Nationals Park in Washington as Springsteen wound down his Land of Hope and Dreams American tour.
At that Wednesday show, Springsteen leaned hard into the politics that have defined this tour. He played “American Skin (41 Shots)” about a fatal police shooting and “Streets of Minneapolis,” responding to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents.
Standing in front of the crowd, Springsteen warned that “The Gestapo tactics of this president and this administration will not stand here,” and pressed the audience to see politics as something the public has to do—not something handed down.
“This American tragedy can only be stopped by the American people: you. There is no one coming to save us. We’ve got to do it ourselves,” he said. “So join us and let’s fight for the America that we love. Do you hear me, Washington?”
Morello framed the festival in the language of collective action. saying in a statement that it’s about “the power everyday human beings have when they come together through music. art. community and action.” He added that he was “honored to bring this incredible lineup to the DC area for a day that celebrates the spirit of activism. creativity. and hope.”.
Thursday. Dropkick Murphys announced they would join Morello’s Power to the People festival in Columbia. Maryland—“along with Foo Fighters. Jack Black. Serj Tankian from System Of A Down. Bruce Springsteen and many others.” The band also said the festival will include Killer Mike. Taylor Momsen. and the Linda Lindas. among others.
Springsteen’s ongoing clash with Donald Trump has been part of the cultural weather around these shows. Trump has called for a boycott of Springsteen’s performances, describing him as a “total loser who spews hate.” Springsteen, for his part, has repeatedly taken aim at Trump’s policies.
Wednesday, he led the crowd in an “ICE out!” chant, urging the audience to make their voices heard all the way to the White House.
The festival’s timing—Oct. 3, with midterm elections looming—puts music and organizing in the same frame. In the middle of a tour that has already turned concert arenas into political stages. the Power to the People lineup is now aiming for a larger room: the country. just a month before voters decide what comes next.
Dropkick Murphys Bruce Springsteen Tom Morello Power to the People Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia Maryland midterm elections VoteRiders HeadCount ICE out American Skin (41 Shots) Streets of Minneapolis