"You have stood up for your neighbours and for yourselves and for democracy and for justice," he told the crowd
By Max Pilley 31st January 2026
Tom Morello at Rockin' Red Dirt Ranch on August 30, 2025 in Pryor, Oklahoma. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)
Tom Morello drew on some big hitters from Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave as he led a raucous ICE protest show in Minneapolis.
- READ MORE: Tom Morello: “In the past, I’ve wanted to use music as a battering ram for social justice”
The lunchtime show went down at the city’s legendary First Avenue venue on Friday (January 30), which was headlined by an unannounced appearance from Bruce Springsteen, who gave a live debut to his new anti-ICE song ‘Streets Of Minneapolis’.
AdvertisementThe show was billed as “a concert of solidarity and resistance to defend Minnesota”, in the wake of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were both shot and killed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in recent weeks. Widespread protests continue in the city, with local government calling for all ICE presence to leave.
Morello joined the Boss for a guitar-shredding version of ‘The Ghost Of Tom Joad’ at the show, but not before he had set the crowd on fire with a set that drew from across his long career of protest music.
“Brothers and sisters, thank you for welcoming us to the battle of Minneapolis,” he told the crowd. “Minneapolis is an inspiration to the entire nation. You have heroically stood up against ICE, stood up against Trump, stood up against this terrible rising tide of state terror. You have stood up for your neighbors and for yourselves and for democracy and for justice. Ain’t nobody comin’ to save us except us, and brothers and sisters, you are showing the way.”
Tom Morello had a message @firstavenue Concert of Solidarity and Resistance pic.twitter.com/3fvJcZFSCt
— Jon Bream (@jonbream) January 30, 2026
RecommendedOur “Concert of Solidarity & Resistance to DEFEND MINNESOTA” was a all timer. #IceOutNow #DestroyAmericanFascism #ArrestThePresident pic.twitter.com/QcmjGtsk6j
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) January 31, 2026
AdvertisementTom Morello plays Killing in the Name Of at Minneapolis benefit concert, and the entire crowd absolutely loses it.pic.twitter.com/v4ssEJ8spW
— Interesting things (@awkwardgoogle) January 31, 2026
Tom Morello introduces Bruce Springsteen at @FirstAvenue 1-30-26The first time playing his new song supporting Minnesota “Streets of Minneapolis” pic.twitter.com/FmzlV6vpfR
— Eli Gardiner (@eligardiner) January 31, 2026
He opened with a cathartic version of Rage’s classic ‘Killing In The Name’ and later played Audioslave’s ‘Cochise’, as well as Woody Guthrie’s ‘This Land Is Your Land’, while all of the musicians on the bill rounded out the show with a version of John Lennon’s ‘Power To The People’.
Morello told those in attendance: “I heard the Trump administration has claimed that outside agitators have come to Minneapolis to stir up trouble. I would like to confirm that we are those outside agitators, and we’re gonna stir up a shit-ton of trouble.”
Tom Morello played:
‘Killing In The Name’ ‘Soldier In The Army Of Love’ ‘Hold The Line’ ‘One Man Revolution’ ‘Keep Going’ ‘Bombtrack/Know Your Enemy/Bulls On Parade/Guerrilla Radio/Sleep Now In The Fire/Bullet In The Head’ ‘Cochise/Like A Stone’ ‘This Land Is Your Land’
When Springsteen introduced ‘Streets Of Minneapolis’, he said that Morello had told him that “nuance is wonderful, but sometimes you have to kick them in the teeth”.
“So,” he continued. “this is for the people of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the people of our good country, the United States of America.” His rendition of the song prompted the packed crowd to chant “ICE Out now!”
The Trump Administration has already hit out at The Boss over the “irrelevant” song, with a spokesperson for the White House sharing a statement condemning it yesterday (January 30).
“The Trump administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities – not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Hollywood Reporter.
She continued, saying that: “The media should cover how Democrats have refused to work with the administration, and instead, opted to provide sanctuary for these criminal illegals.”
Over the summer, Morello – a longtime critic of the US President – shared a “Fuck ICE” playlist, and was one of the many figures from the entertainment world who attended the anti-ICE protests last year.
Elsewhere, Billie Eilish has urged her “fellow celebrities” to “speak up” against ICE’s actions. Her brother and collaborator, Finneas, called out conservatives’ hypocritical gun law arguments in their attempts to justify the fatal shooting of Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse.
Other artists and celebrities to have spoken out include Sabrina Carpenter, Green Day, Neil Young, Moby, Zara Larsson, musician and Stranger Things star Joe Keery, Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal, Duran Duran, Dave Matthews and more.
Tom Morello will play a one-off headline show in London this summer as part of a wider European tour. He’ll also make an appearance at Download Festival 2026. Find any remaining tickets here.
