Recommendations of the Editorial team
Poison frontman Bret Michaels is the latest artist to drop out of the Great American State Fair concert in Washington DC. He explains that the show he originally signed on for “turned into something much more divisive, than what I agreed to.”
In a statement on Instagram, Michaels wrote that the event – part of the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 initiative to mark America’s 250th anniversary – was presented to him as “a celebration of our country through music and a way to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hard-working Americans from all walks of life.”
Michaels left it open what exactly has changed in the direction of the show. However, like other artists who have already canceled, he suggested that the supposedly non-partisan concert had been politicized.
Music instead of politics
“As many of you know, I have spent my entire career bringing people together through music, positivity and good energy,” Michaels wrote. “My shows have never been about politics. They’re about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget the stress of everyday life for a few hours.”
Michaels specifically added that in addition to the show’s changed direction, there were also new “concerns” regarding “the safety of my fans, my band, my crew, my family and myself, including threats that are completely baseless and unforgivable.” He did not give any further details; A spokesman for the musician did not initially respond to a request for comment.
As his statement continued, Michaels emphasized that his decision had nothing to do with politics, but rather with “staying true to what I have always believed in.” He also apologized to fans in the capital and promised to “come back and perform in our capital in circumstances where the focus can remain on what it should be – the music and the fans.” (Michaels’ full statement can be read below.)
More and more rejections
The lineup for the Great American State Fair concert was originally slated to include artists such as Martina McBride, Morris Day and the Time, Flo Rida, Young MC, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli and the Commodores. But many have already backed down. Day declared that the concert was “a no for me”, William King of the Commodores and Young MC followed suit. Young MC told VIBE that he “had no idea it was considered a ‘Trump-backed’ event – that was new to me.”
McBride also declined, saying she was “presented with the opportunity to appear at a nonpartisan event, which turned out to be misleading.” She “asked a lot of questions and received assurances that it was a non-partisan event” – but over the course of the week it became clear that “what we were told was actually not what was happening.”
