Power to the People Festival set for Oct 3 in Maryland

A major music festival featuring Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Brittany Howard, and Joan Baez will be held near Washington, D.C., next fall, organizers announced this week. The event is scheduled for October 3 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, one month before the midterm elections.

The festival, titled "Power to the People," was announced by Springsteen and guitarist Tom Morello during a concert at Nationals Park in Washington on Wednesday. Morello, who is touring with Springsteen, described the event in a statement as being about "the power everyday human beings have when they come together through music, art, community and action." He said organizers were honored to bring the lineup to the area for a day celebrating activism, creativity, and hope.

The one-day festival will feature two stages and includes additional performers such as Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black, Serj Tankian, Killer Mike, Taylor Momsen, and the Linda Lindas. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the organizations VoteRiders and HeadCount, which focus on voter assistance and registration.

The announcement was made during a politically charged concert where...