Tom Morello Brings Together Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews & More For Power To The People Fest

By Andy Kahn Oct 5, 2026 • 9:33 am PDT

Tom Morello curated the inaugural Power To The People Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland on Saturday. Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez and Public Enemy were among the musicians who appeared during the one-day, two-stage event.

Organizers described the festival as “a non-partisan celebration of peace, justice, solidarity, music, and community action.” A portion of ticket proceeds and all net proceeds from VIP tickets were donated to VoteRiders and HeadCount.

Springsteen opened his set solo and acoustic with “Streets Of Minneapolis,” which he wrote in response to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January. He then brought out Baez for Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” Morello and his band backed Springsteen for remainder of the set, including takes on The Clash’s “Clampdown” and Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”

Matthews, Morello and Nathaniel Rateliff came together for Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.” Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl was brought on for Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

The stage was filled with the rest of the event’s participants for Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” (with all its original verses). The all-star event fittingly ended with John Lennon’s “Power to the People.”

Earlier, Morello’s set was billed as Tom Morello & Friends. grandson, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill’s B-Real and Sen Dog, Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Flavor Flav, Run D.M.C.’s Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Anthrax’s Scott Ian accompanied Morello at various points of his set.

Foo Fighters played a set that opened with “Times Like These” and ended with “Everlong.” The Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined for Mose Allison’s “Young Man Blues.” Matthews’ set included Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” with Cindy Mizelle.

Tenacious D’s Jack Black fronted a band called Jack Sabbath, featuring Morello’s son Roman Morello, Revel Ian, Yoyoka Soma and Hugo Weiss, for Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley” and Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard” and “War Pigs.” Black Sabbath guitarist Geezer Butler joined for “War Pigs.”

Taylor Momsen, Mike McCready, Matt Cameron, Robbie Mangano and Morello performed as Suns of Soundgarden, playing Soundgarden’s “Loud Love,” “Outshined” and “Spoonman.”

Baez, Rateliff and Matthews joined forces for Guthrie’s “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos),” followed by Baez’s “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Round.”
Rock legend Stephen Stills also took the stage for Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.”

Watch the livestream replay below: