Bruce Springsteen opened his headlining set at the inaugural “Power to the People” protest festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, with “Streets of Minneapolis,” a song about Renée Good and Alex Pretti. Federal immigration officers fatally shot both in Minneapolis in January. The sold-out crowd at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, stood one month from the midterm elections.
“The power and solidarity of the people of Minneapolis, of Minnesota, is an inspiration to the entire country,” Springsteen told the crowd. “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.” He added, “Let them hear you in Washington.”
A Festival With a Mission
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine organized the one-day, two-stage event. Its mission statement promised to celebrate “peace, justice, solidarity, music and community action,” and organizers said they wanted to promote voter turnout. A portion of ticket proceeds would benefit VoteRiders and HeadCount.
The lineup ran deep. Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black, Serj Tankian, Killer Mike and the Linda Lindas all performed, along with Delila Paz of The Last Internationale. Festival coverage cast the event as standing in stark opposition to “The Great American State Fair,” the America’s 250th anniversary celebration. Several musical guests withdrew from that fair in May over its ties to President Donald Trump. Organizers announced “Power to the People” around the same time.
Politics From the Stage
Performers didn’t all frame the day the same way. Taylor Momsen told The Associated Press, “I’m not here to tell anyone what to think or how to vote.” She said she hoped people would leave “feeling connected, inspired to care about the people around them.”
Other acts were more pointed. Grandson sang a song with the refrain “My president’s a felon,” then covered Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War.” His livestream cut out as he introduced two actors portraying Jeffrey Epstein and Trump, who came onstage connected by a leash.
Killer Mike’s message was closer to home. “Vote locally in thirty days,” he said mid-set, urging voters to “hold the (expletive) 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.”
Festivalgoers wore shirts reading “Immigrants Make America Great,” “No Kings,” “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “Bring on the Matriarchy.” At the adjacent Freedom Village, attendees could meet nonprofits including the ACLU, Farm Aid, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Oxfam.
The Music
The musical program drew on rock history. Jack Black appeared as “Jack Sabbath” shortly after 3 p.m., playing Black Sabbath covers with a band of children, including the sons of Morello and Anthrax’s Scott Ian. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler joined them for “War Pigs.” Tankian joined Morello for Audioslave’s “Like a Stone,” honoring late frontman Chris Cornell. Morello and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl played Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
Joan Baez joined Springsteen for Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” Springsteen, Morello, Dave Matthews and Nathaniel Rateliff later performed Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.” Stephen Stills closed that stretch with Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” Baez called the festival a “magnificent antidote.” The night ended with performers singing Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” with all its original verses, and John Lennon’s “Power to the People.”
Evangeline Topete, a young fan wearing a shirt reading “Destroy American Fascism,” told the AP the festival meant “peace, love, and justice do not have to remain nouns.” She called it a chance to give “the power where it belongs: to the people!”
Why This Matters: Organizers billed the day as community action and voter engagement, but the stage content ranged from Momsen’s “not here to tell anyone what to think” to a leashed Trump character and a “My president’s a felon” refrain. That gap matters a month before the midterms. Voter-turnout efforts work best when they persuade across party lines, and the day’s messaging may reach mainly those already convinced. Killer Mike’s advice to hold local officials accountable on school boards and county commissions is civic work that doesn’t depend on national partisanship. The Minneapolis shootings, as the source describes them, remain a charged subject. Springsteen’s call to “let them hear you in Washington” will land in a country still divided over how immigration is enforced.