A month before crucial midterm U.S. elections, Tom Morello’s star-studded inaugural Power to the People festival takes place today (Oct. 3) at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., just outside Washington, D.C., and MS NOW is streaming all the hard-rocking highlights. Morello says the gathering, which features 17 individual members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is built around “freedom, justice, equality and rock and roll.”
Among the participants: Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, Public Enemy, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black and friends, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill, Stephen Stills, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and Morello guitar-slinging 15-year-old son Roman, among others. It also appears drummer Matt Cameron, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and singer Taylor Momsen will once again revisit the music of Soundgarden during a short early evening set.
“In a time of hatred and division, this is a festival of unity and solidarity and joy,” Morello said in an Instagram video. “In a time when there’s a lot of terrible shit in the world, we’re going to rock your ass with some of the greatest folk music, rock and roll music, hip-hop and heavy metal music that you’ve ever heard.”
Roman Morello is expected to appear onstage with a number of acts, including Jack Sabbath — a teenage Black Sabbath cover band fronted by none other than actor/musician Jack Black. The young musician is also prominently featured on his father’s new Mom + Pop Records album Everyone Gets Everything They Want.
A portion of all Power to the People ticket proceeds, plus 100% of net VIP proceeds, will benefit VoteRiders and HeadCount, which will help attendees register to vote and learn more about participating in upcoming elections. The festival’s participating organizations will include the ACLU, Farm Aid, Rock the Vote, Oxfam, Noise for Now, Trans Maryland, the Woody Guthrie Center, the Mary Morello Memorial Project and many others.