Neil Young, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers Headline Bernie Sanders Los Angeles Rally

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Greetings everyone! I’m here at Berniechella, and we’ve got a fantastic gathering of around 36,000 people right now at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown LA,” Maggie Rogers addressed the crowd during her Saturday afternoon performance.

Even though people in L.A. didn’t attend Coachella this weekend, they could still witness a celebrity-filled concert. Rogers, Neil Young, and Joan Baez performed at Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s L.A. event on their Fighting Oligarchy tour. They encouraged the audience to challenge President Donald Trump and the wealthy elite backing his administration.

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For those in L.A. who missed out on Coachella this weekend, they could catch a star-studded performance instead. At Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s L.A. stop on their Fighting Oligarchy tour, Neil Young, Joan Baez, and Rogers took the stage. They inspired everyone present to confront President Donald Trump and the billionaire class aiding his administration.

Sanders expressed to the audience that our revolution will be filled with joy, and he acknowledged the musicians who performed prior to his speech. He envisioned us triumphing over hate and discord through song and dance.

Sanders’ itinerary includes visits to cities such as Denver, Tempe, Arizona, along with several other locations like Salt Lake City, Nampa (Idaho), Bakersfield, Folsom, and Missoula (Montana) over the next few days.

Sanders warned the gathering that we’re currently facing a critical, unprecedented risk,” he said. Additionally, he emphasized his view that the current Trump administration is leading us towards a societal structure characterized by strong centralized power and limited individual freedoms.

“Mr. Trump, we are not going there,” Sanders said.

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., the rally showcased artists like Jeff Rosenstock, Indigo De Souza, Red Pears, and David Longstreth of the Dirty Projectors. Their performances were interspersed with speeches from various professionals such as teachers, nurses, union leaders, city council members, and congress members. These speakers advocated for a variety of reforms, including universal healthcare, tenant rights, protecting immigrants, and improving wages for Hollywood production assistants. The underlying message, as the title “fighting oligarchy” implies, focused on addressing wealth inequality in the nation.

1 p.m. saw Joan Baez stepping onto the stage, starting off with the folk number “I Won’t Let Anyone Turn Me Around.” The audience burst into applause as she sang revised verses like, “I won’t let white supremacists lead me astray” and “I won’t let those greedy tycoons sway me.” After that, she performed “There But For Fortune” and a moving rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.

Joanne Baez has expressed her contempt towards the Trump administration not long ago. In fact, just last month, she appeared on John Mulaney’s show, “Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney,” and stated that our democratic system appears to be collapsing or burning down.

Rogers kicked off her performance by embracing the rally’s theme of change, starting with “Different Kind of World” and moving into her hit single “Light On,” which is from her 2019 album Heard It in a Past Life. She also played her breakthrough single “Alaska,” and invited Baez back on stage for a rendition of Bob Dylan’s folk classic “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” In true folk protest style, they ended their performance as a duo with a cover of “America The Beautiful,” with Baez adding an additional verse dedicated to “sisterhood from sea to shining sea.

Prior to Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders’ appearance, Young secured the last spot on stage. Armed with an electric guitar and harmonica, he led a “take America back” chant with the audience, accentuating it with forceful chords. In the past, Young has performed at Sanders rallies, and recently expressed his discontent with the Trump administration on his website. He voiced concern that Trump might prevent him from re-entering the U.S. after his upcoming European tour due to his critique of the president.

Initially, Young unveiled “Rainbow of Colors,” a 2019 track he produced with Crazy Horse. This song celebrates the multicultural fabric of America, with Young asserting that no one can erase those vibrant colors. Later, he strummed the opening chords to his anti-establishment anthem, “Rockin’ In the Free World.” Baez and Rogers reappeared during the second verse, harmonizing “power to the people” in the background.

You’re welcome, everyone,” said Young as he presented AOC to the gathering. “We appreciate your presence here this weekend, as well as the following weekends. We look forward to seeing you again and again until we sort everything out. Please keep joining us.

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2025-04-13 03:54