Author Archives: Amanda Howard

Some festivals are built around a headliner. Power to the People was built around a cause. On Saturday, October 3, with the midterm elections a month away, Tom Morello filled Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, with generations of performers from rock, punk, folk, and hip-hop, then asked every person who came through the gates to do more than sing along: register, organize, and show up.

A share of every ticket went to VoteRiders and HeadCount, dozens of nonprofits set up shop in the Freedom Village behind the lawn, and the artists spent the day wandering into each other’s sets like one big extended family with something to say. It was loud, joyful, defiant, and at times genuinely moving—a reminder that music has always been one of the best ways to bring people together, pointed in the same direction.

The day started on the grass. The lawn filled first, and by the time the first few bands hit the stage, it was packed, blankets and bodies stretching up the hill. Nobody was easing into this one.

The Last Internationale owned the main stage from the jump. Delila Paz sounded amazing and carried the kind of presence that makes an opening slot feel like a headline set, and when bassist Chris Barker launched himself off a speaker mid-song, it was killer. Morello has championed this band for years, and there was no better way to open the Pavilion stage at his festival.

The Linda Lindas came out fun, lively, and spunky, and they were the ones who really kicked off the day’s energy for me—no small feat, considering I was running on zero coffee. Their punk is pure joy, and the crowd fed off every bit of it.

Read More »

RALEIGH, NC | The Sunday night sermon in Raleigh was brought to you by Rise Against. The Chicago punk veterans rolled the Ricochet 2026 tour into Red Hat Amphitheater on September 27, and the congregation showed up early and loud. Walking up to the venue, there was a buzz in the air. Folks of all ages lined up ready to take the barricade, and it was clear this crowd had come to do more than listen. With Alkaline Trio and Teen Mortgage on the bill, it had all the makings of a punk rock night with something to say—and nobody on that stage was shy about saying it.

First up was Teen Mortgage, who lit a match coming out, telling the crowd right off the bat where they stood: “Fuck ICE, Fuck Donald Trump, and free Palestine.” The crowd’s cheers set the tone for the night. They are a two-piece band, which is not something you see every day, especially on a stage this size.

Out of Washington, DC, guitarist and vocalist James Guile and drummer Ed Barkauskas make a racket that sounds like it should take twice as many people—hardcore aggression with a garage-rock snarl and just enough hooks to stick. They blasted through their set with plenty of commentary on the state of affairs and their message, and by the time they walked off, nobody in the amphitheater was confused about what kind of night this was going to be.

Alkaline Trio came on next, bringing their punk rock roots to a very excited fan base. The front row was littered with their shirts, and those fans were very enthusiastic. The band has been at this since the mid-’90s, and they blasted through their set with some of their more well-known songs and fan favorites. They played “Blue Carolina” and dedicated it to the North Carolina crowd, turning a 2003 Good Mourning track into a love letter to the room.

Read More »

RELEIGH, NC | Some Friday nights get circled on the calendar months in advance, and for the metal faithful of Raleigh, September 25 was one of them. W.A.S.P. rolled the 1984 To Headless tour into The Ritz with KK’s Priest along as very special guests—two bands carrying a serious share of heavy metal history. Nobody walked in expecting a quiet night. Nobody expected just how loud it would get, either.

Raleighwood showed up, and W.A.S.P. and KK’s Priest brought the wall of sound. When I arrived, people had been lining up since a little after lunch, mostly clad in all black, battle vests, and studs, and ready to rock.

KK’s Priest came out and wasted no time, busting out hit after hit with some of the biggest songs first: “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Breaking the Law,” and “Living After Midnight.” With former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing leading the charge and Tim “Ripper” Owens on vocals, the band dug deeper into the Priest catalog Downing helped build with “Beyond the Realms of Death,” “Victim of Changes,” and “Turbo Lover,” and mixed in their own “Hellfire Thunderbolt” and “Raise Your Fists.”

The energetic and very loud crowd showed the kind of love usually reserved for the last band of the night. The band mentioned they were recording all the shows, and Raleigh may just be the loudest. There was no doubt that people had been planning for this Friday night for a long time.

Read More »