Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair lineup is shrinking faster than a campaign promise after Election Day. Two days after SPIN highlighted the deeply bewildering artist roster attached to the National Mall celebration — a lineup that somehow managed to unite Vanilla Ice, C+C Music Factory, Flo Rida, Martina McBride and Milli Vanilli under one aggressively Stars and Stripes banner — the event is now facing a growing wave of artist withdrawals.
Poison frontman Bret Michaels has officially exited the concert series, joining several other acts distancing themselves from the event amid mounting scrutiny over its political associations. Michaels said in a statement that he originally believed the event would be “a celebration of all Americans regardless of political affiliation, bringing people together,” but ultimately concluded that “the event has become divisive and dangerous.” He also cited threats directed toward him, his band and crew following the announcement.
“This isn’t about politics,” Michaels wrote. “It’s about staying true to what I’ve always believed in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.”
McBride, the Commodores, Morris Day & the Time and Young MC have all either withdrawn or publicly denied participation after the lineup reveal touched off immediate backlash. The unraveling comes after Freedom 250, the organization partnering with the Donald Trump-led White House Task Force 250 on America’s upcoming 250th birthday celebration, unveiled plans for its Great American State Fair concert series on the National Mall running June 25 through July 10.
“I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues,” McBride said yesterday. “It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you, that is not the case.”
Despite the increasingly chaotic rollout, the event itself remains scheduled to proceed, with organizers continuing to describe Freedom 250 as a nonpartisan initiative celebrating America’s semiquincentennial. Still standing, at least for now: Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, Flo Rida and C+C Music Factory — which might now qualify as the most ideologically confusing concert package in modern American history.
“I am here to entertain and unite people, not divide them,” lone original Milli Vanillli member Rob Morvan said in a statement. “Let’s celebrate life and music and take a trip down memory lane. I feel honored to be a part of as it will celebrate the 250 year anniversary of America with so many other accomplished artists.”