John Oliver he's facing the brunt of the Freedom 250 concert series.
Martina McBride, Bret Michaels and more artists have come out of scheduled performances at the Great American State Fair to celebrate the US's 250th birthday over the Freedom 250 arrangement with the President. Donald TrumpAdministration. The 16-day festival will take place in Washington, DC, between June 25 and July 10.
Oliver, 49, recounted the series of events that interrupted the concerts on the Sunday, May 31, episode of HBO's. Last week Tonighthe laughed, “A list of people who have piled up that you haven't thought about since 2009.”
“Honestly, that sounds less like America's 250th birthday and more like Rhonda's 50th birthday playlist,” he continued. “The only surprising thing about that list is that there aren't any specials from the guy from ShamWow and the kid from Gushers whose head turned into a raspberry.”
In a Saturday, May 30, Truth Social post, Trump, 79, asked organizers to cancel the series because of the number of artists who backed out.
“We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for the 250th, instead of overpriced musicians, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, yet they do nothing but complain. Cancel,” he wrote.
McBride, 59, was one of those who walked out of the concert series last week.
“I would like to talk to you and make a noise. I will no longer be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25,” he said in a statement on Instagram. “I was given the opportunity to perform at a non-partisan event, but it turned out to be misleading.”
Vanilla Ice has stood by its decision to perform at the Great American State Fair's Freedom 250 after many acts pulled out due to President Donald Trump's campaign. “Celebrating America's 250th birthday. It's going to be an awesome party,” the 58-year-old rapper wrote on Instagram Thursday, May 28, along with a video sharing his excitement. […]
McBride said she only agreed to perform after asking “a lot of questions and being assured that this is a one-of-a-kind event to celebrate ALL 50 states.”
“In my mind, I thought this was a great way to celebrate the states and bring people together in a way that only music can do,” she said. “I saw it as a bigger version of the many regional fairs I've been to over the years, celebrating the community and what makes each country special. Sounds good, doesn't it? I mean.”
“I've spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real problems,” he continued. “I've been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who feel like they don't have one. It makes me sad that any fan who has been taken away by my music feels like I'm discarding the meaning of those songs. I assure you that's not the case. Thank you to every fan who has reached out. I hope to be back in the DC area soon.”
In a statement on his website, Michaels, 63, said, “Unfortunately, what was presented as a celebration of our country has turned into something more divisive than I would agree to be a part of. Concerns have also been raised about the safety of my fans, team, team, family and myself, including baseless and inexcusable threats.”
