Music festivals are usually defined by setlists, headliners, and muddy fields, but on Oct. 3 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, Power to the People delivered something much bigger: a genuine, historic movement.
Organized in large by Tom Morello, the one-day, two-stage marathon show felt like the 21st-century equivalent of Live Aid or Woodstock, trading corporate sponsorships for grassroots organizing, voter activation, and raw civic energy. It was the music event of the decade, at least.
With the “Freedom Village” lining the grounds, featuring organizations like the ACLU and HeadCount, the music wasn’t just entertainment; it was a rallying cry for democracy. The non-stop setup meant zero downtime, keeping the energy electric from the opening set to the legendary all-star finale, featuring a singalong to John Lennon’s “Power to the People.” It captured a historic turning point where culture and democracy met head-on.
State Radio kicked off the day on the Chrysalis Stage for a rare get-together for the band. Following them on the same stage were The Linda Lindas, who helped lead the youth movement at the festival.
Also among the youth fighting for democracy at the festival was Tom Morello’s son, Roman, during Jack Black’s Black Sabbath tribute set.
Jack Black really captured the audience’s attention on the main stage. It’s impressive how entertaining he is, and surprising how good of a singer he ended up being. He was joined by original Black Sabbath member Geezer Butler for the final song.
In between sets, festival organizer and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello spoke to the crowd, introducing artists and promoting the organizations behind the festival. However, in between one of the sets brought a pre-recorded video from Macklemore, who continued to promote his “Free Palestine” message that got him removed from Ed Sheran’s tour.
What made Power to the People so special was the mix of genres. Hip-hop was a big one this weekend, with acts like Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, and Run-DMC coming together.
On the other hand, acts like Nathaniel Rateliff and Dropkick Murphys got to shine as well.
There were three big highlights of the night for me, besides Bruce Springsteen’s set, of course: Dave Grohl joining Tom Morello’s super set, the Soundgarden set featuring Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless and Matt Cameron and Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, and the appearance of Joan Baez.
The finale set with Bruce Springsteen, however, was the biggest highlight of the night. Bruce began with “Streets of Minneapolis” by himself before bringing Joan Baez to the stage to perform Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” He then began to bring the rest of the lineup out for “Clampdown” by the Ramones, “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie, and “Power to the People” by John Lennon.
