President Trump’s administration has angered the music industry so much that artists are organizing “46 for 46” — a concert campaign to derail his reelection.
Dashboard Confessional, Bon Iver, and like-minded artists have allied with former industry manager Kyle Frenette to sway swing states during the 2020 presidential election.
Mr. Frenette, who ended his 2018 campaign for Wisconsin’s 7th district “due to unforeseen circumstances,” admits that a lot of hard work lies ahead of him.
“The best way to look at it is as a marketing campaign that works in tandem with the concerts,” he told Billboard for an interview published Wednesday. “I’m a white guy, my partner’s a white guy. We need to diversify here.”
The website noted that musicians who take part may be overestimating their influence with likely voters.
“Vote for Change, the (officially non-partisan) 2004 star-studded concert tour that came out hard for the candidate who ultimately lost the presidential race: then-Democratic nominee John Kerry,” the website reported.
Artists who sign on will urge their audiences to “Pledge 46” in 2020, which includes various forms of activism to motivate progressive voters.
“Honestly, we’ve got 46 concerts to put on, and so we’re not gonna pick and choose,” Mr. Frenette said of attracting additional talent. “If a prominent artist from California would really like to play California, then great, that’s awesome. … We’re not gonna be picky, so long as we hit those crucial swing states.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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