Tom Morello’s Energy To The Folks came about at Merriweather Submit Pavilion in Columbia, MD, on Saturday (October 3). Proceeds from the one-day occasion profit VoteRiders and HeadCount, and it was livestreamed on MS NOW’s YouTube channel. However whereas PTTP was billed as non-partisan, simply because the pageant started, Rolling Stone printed a brand new interview through which Morello mentioned he didn’t vote for Kamala Harris within the 2024 presidential election. Morello is without doubt one of the most recognizable left-wing musicians in America, and the revelation prompted loads of shock on-line. He mentioned he cannot bear in mind the final time he voted for a Democrat for president, and linked his determination to US coverage towards Gaza and his opposition to “company Democrat” candidates. The guitarist additionally identified that he lives in California, the place “it might not have moved the meter.”
Over the summer time, Morello informed Stereogum that the aim of Energy To The Folks was an “anti-racist, anti-fascist” celebration, and he teased shock friends.
Listed here are some notable moments in chronological order…
Jack Black reunited with the younger musicians — Tom Morello’s son Roman on guitar, Scott Ian’s son Revel on bass, drummer Yoyoka Soma, and keyboardist Hugo Weiss — who carried out with him final yr in a pre-recorded video for Ozzy Osbourne’s Again To The Starting tribute. As “Jack Sabbath,” they reprised their BttB cowl of Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley” and did Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard” and “Warfare Pigs,” the latter with Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler in a shock look. Soma bought to fulfill Dave Grohl, who as soon as recorded a video for her on The Ellen DeGeneres Present.
Morello’s set included System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian becoming a member of for his or her current collaboration “Adjourn It” and a canopy of Audioslave’s “Like A Stone.” Grandson, who carried out his personal set too, got here up for his Morello collab “Maintain The Line.” Darryl McDaniels aka DMC joined the Rage In opposition to The Machine guitarist for Run-DMC’s “It is Difficult” and “Stroll This Manner” (the Aerosmith tune Run-DMC famously remixed 40 years in the past), and “Stroll This Manner” additionally featured Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Cypress Hill’s B-Actual and Sen Canine, and Jack Black. (The late ’10s supergroup Prophets Of Rage included Morello, Chuck D, and B-Actual.)
Suns Of Soundgarden was a shock Soundgarden tribute that includes Taylor Momsen, Tom Morello, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, former Soundgarden/Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Robbie Mangano. They coated “Loud Love,” “Outshined,” and “Spoonman.” Momsen, McCready, and Cameron carried out with unique Soundgarden members Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd throughout Seahawks halftime on Sept. 9; it wasn’t broadcast and was solely posted on-line final weekend.
Guitarist Scott Ian, who carried out with Anthrax in Mexico Metropolis the evening earlier than, joined Public Enemy’s set for the group’s 1991 collab “Deliver Tha Noize.” Earlier, PE’s Taste Flav joined Cypress Hill for his or her cowl of Home Of Ache’s “Bounce Round.” He additionally bought to be in a Dave sandwich:
The politically outspoken Dave Matthews opened with “Do not Drink The Water,” the 1998 Dave Matthews Band single in regards to the compelled displacement of Native People by European-American settlers. He additionally coated Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me” for the primary time.
Matthews then introduced out Nathaniel Rateliff and Joan Baez for a Woody Guthrie cowl and the standard “Ain’t Gonna Let No person Flip Me ‘Spherical.” (85-year-old Baez went viral over the summer time for her sick dance strikes, alongside Matthews, throughout Rateliff’s Newport People closing set.)
Foo Fighters coated Mose Allison’s “Younger Man Blues” for the primary time since 2021. Grohl, who was sporting an Iowa Hawkeyes shirt, devoted “My Hero” to his “new pal Jack.” Certainly, Jack Smith was there (in a Springsteen shirt):
ICYMI, the previous Trump particular counsel has been within the information as a result of Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) regarded like a moron by complicated the Hawkeyes with the Atlanta Hawks when castigating him earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee final week.
Bruce Springsteen, who enlisted Morello for his touring band earlier this yr, performed the ultimate set. He started solo earlier than being joined by Morello’s band. The efficiency featured covers of well-known protest songs and ended with John Lennon’s “Energy To The Folks” with the day’s performers onstage. The Boss had not coated Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Lucky Son” since 2009 nor Neil Younger’s “Rockin’ In The Free World” since even earlier than that — 2004.
Olivia Rodrigo performed D.C. final evening, so she was in a position to cease by (to not carry out, however as a result of she loves ’90s rock):
“To each artist, activist, group, accomplice, volunteer and fan who made POWER TO THE PEOPLE potential, thanks,” Morello and the pageant shared in a press release after the occasion. “The music could also be over, however the work continues. In the event you have been moved by what you noticed, heard or skilled, please think about donating to the POWER TO THE PEOPLE Competition Fund on our web site. Your help will profit organizations advancing civic engagement, social justice and human rights.”
Take a look at Springsteen’s setlist under.
“Streets Of Minneapolis” (solo acoustic)
“Chimes Of Freedom” (Bob Dylan cowl with Joan Baez) (acoustic)
“Clampdown” (the Conflict cowl with Tom Morello)
“The Ghost Of Tom Joad” (with Tom Morello)
“Lucky Son” (Creedence Clearwater Revival cowl with Dave Matthews and Nathaniel Rateliff)
“Rockin’ In The Free World” (Neil Younger cowl with Dave Grohl, Dave Matthews, and Tom Morello)
“This Land Is Your Land” (Woody Guthrie cowl with all)
“Energy To The Folks” (John Lennon cowl with all)
