The historic First Avenue venue in Minneapolis became the epicenter of a high-profile political demonstration on Friday night, as Tom Morello and Bruce Springsteen joined forces with punk stalwarts Rise Against for “A Concert Of Solidarity & Resistance To Defend Minnesota.”
Organized as a direct protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the immigration policies of President Donald Trump, the event featured advertised sets from Morello, Rise Against, Al Di Meola, and Ike Reilly. However, the night’s biggest moment came with the unannounced arrival of Springsteen, who took the stage to debut his new protest track, “Streets Of Minneapolis,” live for the first time.
Morello, famously the guitarist for Rage Against The Machine, set the tone for the evening immediately upon taking the stage. Before launching into a cover of his band’s seminal anthem “Killing In The Name,” Morello delivered a fiery address to the capacity crowd, characterizing Minneapolis as a critical battleground in the fight against authoritarianism.
He said (as transcribed by theprp): “Brothers and sisters, thank you for welcoming us to the battle of Minneapolis. My friends, if it looks like fas*ism, sounds like fas*ism, acts like fas*ism, dresses like fas*ism, talks like fas*ism, kills like fas*ism and lies like fas*ism, brothers and sisters, it’s f**king fas*ism. It’s here, it’s now, it’s in my city, it’s in your city and it must be resisted, protested, defended against, stood up to, exposed, ousted, overthrown and driven out. By who? By you. By me.”
“Minneapolis is an inspiration to the entire nation. You have heroically stood up against ICE, stood up against Trump, stood up against this terrible rising tide of state te**or. You’ve stood up for your neighbors and for yourselves and for democracy and for justice. Ain’t nobody coming to save us, except us. And brothers and sisters, you are showing the way.”
“To that end, we would like to begin our program with an old Native American war chant. We encourage you to singalong, in this very room Prince created a revolution, now it’s our turn.”
Morello‘s performance was a tour de force of his most politically charged material. His setlist included solo tracks like “Soldier In The Army Of Love” and “One Man Revolution,” alongside a medley of Rage Against The Machine staples (“Bombtrack,” “Bulls On Parade,” “Guerrilla Radio“) and Audioslave hits (“Cochise,” “Like A Stone“). He also led a rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” accompanied by Tim McIlrath of Rise Against, Reilly, and Di Meola.
The night reached an emotional peak when Morello and Springsteen reunited onstage to perform “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” a Springsteen original that Rage Against The Machine famously covered in the 1990s. The entire lineup of performers then returned for a show-closing ensemble performance of John Lennon‘s “Power To The People.”
The concert was not just a symbolic gesture; it served as a benefit for those directly impacted by recent enforcement actions. Organizers confirmed that 100% of the proceeds from the evening will be donated to the families of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, two individuals killed in January during ICE-involved shootings amid ongoing immigration raids in Minnesota.
