May 30, 2026
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Michael's Daily Notes
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The Great American State Fair Meltdown
Tonight The Boss plays Philly. It’s the final stop on his “Land of Hope and Dreams” U.S. Tour - originally billed as “Minneapolis to Washington,” but bumped to Philadelphia at the last minute due to the 76ers’ playoff schedule. I’ve always loved the music. I could do without the political preaching.
Springsteen announced this tour explicitly as an act of protest, declaring from the outset that he’d be “rocking your town in celebration and in defense of America, American democracy, American freedom… all of which are under attack by our wannabe king.” On opening night in Minneapolis, he delivered four separate political speeches, describing the current administration as corrupt and comparing immigration enforcement to foreign gulags. It hasn’t let up since.
It’s an issue I’ve long wrestled with. I love Pink Floyd. I disagree with Roger Waters. I generally don’t let politics determine my entertainment choices - I’d have very little to watch or listen to. The art is the art.
Which is why a very different controversy unfolding in Washington this week caught my attention. While Springsteen performs for fans who paid to hear him preach, a group of ’90s artists found themselves in the opposite predicament - booked to play what they thought was a nonpartisan patriotic celebration, only to discover it was anything but.
The Great American State Fair, set for the National Mall from June 25 to July 10, is organized not by America250 - the nonpartisan body Congress created for the semiquincentennial - but by Freedom 250, a Trump White House initiative. For one million dollars or more, donors can secure an invitation to a private reception hosted by Trump himself. Democratic senators have launched a probe into those practices, arguing that government-sponsored civic commemorations should not serve as platforms for political messaging or create opportunities for donors to exert influence with federal decision-makers under the guise of patriotic celebration.
Against that backdrop, Freedom 250 announced a nine-act concert lineup on Wednesday - heavy on nostalgia, featuring Bret Michaels of Poison, Martina McBride, The Commodores, Milli Vanilli, Vanilla Ice, C+C Music Factory, Morris Day & The Time, Young MC, and Flo Rida. It immediately unraveled. Six of the nine scheduled performers have withdrawn, with most saying they were told it was a nonpartisan state fair - and were misled.
Martina McBride said she initially believed the event was nonpartisan - “sounds fun, right? Wholesome even” - but was informed Wednesday that was not the case. Young MC said the artists were never told about any political involvement and only learned it was Trump-backed after reading about it in SPIN magazine. Bret Michaels - a Trump supporter himself - still walked, citing both the event’s divisiveness and safety concerns. Morris Day kept it short: “It’s a no from me,” followed by a sunglasses emoji.
Then there’s the strangest chapter in the whole saga. C+C Music Factory rapper Freedom Williams - the voice behind “Gonna Make You Sweat” - delivered a seven-minute expletive-filled rant from atop his toilet seat, saying he doesn’t give a damn about Trump but won’t let critics tell him what to do. The backlash actually made him change course and decide to stay. Jimmy Kimmel responded: “I feel like hearing from him only once every 35 years isn’t enough.”
Who’s left? Vanilla Ice, C+C Music Factory, and Flo Rida - three acts for 16 nights on the National Mall. Organizers insist the whole thing is being misread. Freedom 250 spokesperson Julia Friedland says the event has always been sold as a nonpartisan celebration. “I don’t think there’s anything partisan about America being around for 250 years,” she said.
Critics see it differently. And so, apparently, do most of the artists who were booked.
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DAILY POLL
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Should politics determine whether artists perform at the Great American State Fair?
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