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The First Amendment Applies to Concert Stages Too

Protests like that of Macklemore on Palestine should never be silenced by billionaire owners.

In the highly charged September moment when rockers and rappers responded to Ed Sheeran’s graceless dismissal of Macklemore from his American stadium tour, Patti Smith may have offered the most clarity. She did not mention the controversy that raged after Sheeran dropped the Seattle-based rapper as an opening act for some of the biggest shows of the year under pressure from Robert Kraft and other stadium owners who were unsettled by Macklemore’s declaring “Free Palestine” onstage. Rather, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and National Book Award winner provided us with an example of the essential role that artists play in framing our discourse—as well as the importance of ensuring that platforms are always available for musicians whose heartfelt declarations speak deeper and more necessary truths than politicians and policymakers.

Introducing one of her most poignant and powerful songs, “Peaceable Kingdom,” at Chicago’s rain-soaked Riot Fest concert on September 20, Smith recalled: “Twenty-three years ago, we wrote this song for the Palestinian people. That was 23 years ago, and we had at that time some hope—some hope that the world would band together and that the people would do the right thing. And now we are, 23 years later, in the center of tragedy in one of the greatest heartbreaks of our time.” Chants of “Free Palestine” rose from the crowd, as Smith vowed that “we still, no matter what, will always hope for the Palestinian people—and this is for them.”

Smith offered a reminder that, even as commercial pressures so frequently diminish entertainment, many of our greatest rockers, rappers, folkies, and country performers keep on dissenting. Some songwriters put protest music at the........

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