Cockburn steeled himself Wednesday after a press release from the Trump administration’s “Freedom 250” plopped into his inbox. The missive promised a line-up of “Star-Studded Entertainment” for the Great American State Fair, set to take place on the National Mall for three weeks over the nation’s semiquincentennial. Nine “music icons” would perform for free, including the Commodores, Flo Rida and a smattering of one-hit wonders.
Two days later and the schedule is in tatters: eight of the nine acts have withdrawn following fan backlash, with critics branding the event “DC’s very own Fyre Fest.” Only Flo Rida remains.
“I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,” wrote country singer Martina McBride, one of the nine, in a statement. “The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” said Young MC, another act.
Well, quite. Who in their right mind would assume that a concert in Washington might be political in nature? And why wouldn’t you believe that the Trump White House was capable of pulling off a bipartisan celebration of the country?
It’s remarkable how much more straightforward it is to put on a show when fans know it’s political in nature. Just look at Turning Point USA’s Super Bowl halftime show with Kid Rock and various country singers, a response to the NFL’s selection of Puerto Rican performer Bad Bunny. No one dropped out.
