IS AN ALL-STAR GUN-REFORM BENEFIT IN THE OFFING?
In the wake of recent mass shootings, there have been murmurs of possible concerts to benefit gun control and safety awareness. Several prominent artists are expressing their frustration with government inaction in the face of these horrors, and they’re making their voices heard.
During her 8/4 Lollapalooza set, Kacey Musgraves expressed her dismay at last weekend's violence, bringing scorn from several Fox News hosts and other right-wing voices. She kicked things up a notch shortly thereafter, tweeting that though she’s from Texas and grew up around guns, "NOBODY NEEDS ANYTHING REMOTELY AUTOMATIC. PERIOD. They’re mass killing machines."
On 8/7, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds called upon high-profile artists to join him in standing outside the White House to demand change, and suggested creating "a music festival protesting violence and hate in America," at which firearms could be turned in to local authorities in exchange for admission. The following night, Dan openly asked, "What artists/speakers are willing to play for free... to put on a festival raising money for organizations that are fighting for new legislation regarding gun laws?"
Could an anti-gun benefit concert along the lines of One Love Manchester rise from the ashes of the failed Woodstock 50, at which Imagine Dragons were scheduled to perform?
Last year, following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy spearheaded an anti-gun-violence benefit concert in Washington D.C. as part of the March For Our Lives demonstration, along with co-headliners G-Eazy, Bebe Rexha and Lizzo. Who else might become involved now? Stay tuned.
with the failure of WOODSTOCK I pose this question:
— Dan Reynolds (@DanReynolds) August 9, 2019
What artists/speakers are willing to play for free (we get some corporate dollars to cover crew costs and travel etc) to put on a festival raising money for organizations that are fighting for new legislation regarding gun laws
we are gonna DO this I promise you that.
— Dan Reynolds (@DanReynolds) August 9, 2019
This isn’t political.
This is a festival about our people being KILLED. It needs to stop. And honestly. It’s gonna take our artists and people of influence stepping up. Because law makers ARE NOT.
