Saturday night in DC was a great night of music and protest as Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave legend Tom Morello and his band, along with The Neighborhood Kids — and a special appearance by Max Weinberg from Bruce Springsteen and the East Street Band — played an enormous set at the historic Lincoln Theatre to a sold-out crowd. Morello and band played a fantastic gig of exceptional guitar-driven rock and roll and were very convincing in getting across messages of “anti-fascism,” “anti-Nazism,” and “anti-racism” to the highly enthusiastic crowd.
Rage was definitely in the air as The Neighborhood Kids, the hip-hop band from San Diego, opened the stage in fantastic form with a 30-minute, highly-energized set, where they rapped non-stop getting their message across and discussing being spotted in the crowd near the White House the day of the concert as fans recognized them while they were touring DC. The band was very thankful for the opportunity to open for Morello and play at the Lincoln Theatre mentioning all the greats that had played the venue over the years such as Ella Fitzgerald, and others, who helped set the path for bands such as themselves to play such legendary venues.
The Neighborhood Kids were very vocal in their protest themes yelling out they did not want ICE in their neighborhoods and being tired of National Guard in their cities but were very emotional showing their love for being able to play Washington, DC, for the first time.
Morello was similar in his protest chants, labeling the congregation (audience in attendance) as “anti-fascist” crimefighters before blasting into a magnificent set of music regardless of political positions that filled the air inside the Lincoln Theatre on Nov. 15.
Morello is a force to be reckoned with musically — and he has been recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the greatest guitarists in history. Morello does not disappoint and was in full form throughout his set at Lincoln Theatre. Two of his finest moments during the evening was the playing of “Hold the Line” and “One Man Revolution” — highlighting his showmanship, sensational guitar technique, and solo ability. Rage Against the Machine classics “Killing in the Name” and “Sleep Now in the Fire” and Audioslave covers were also a fantastic reminder of the greatness of Morello’s former bands.
Watch Tom Morello perform “One Man Revolution” live on Jools Holland via YouTube:
Arguably, the most heartfelt moment of the evening was Morello’s tribute to Soundgarden and Audioslave legend Chris Cornell, who Morello had worked with during the production of several albums during their time together in Audioslave. (They produced three great albums: Audioslave, Out of Exile, and Revelations.) The tribute to Cornell was much wanted by the fans, and it’s probably safe to say there were some tears shed during this juncture of the concert.
The most light-hearted moment of the night occurred near the end of the show when Morello led the audience through his version of Woody Guthrie’s classic “This Land Is Your Land”, which resulted in people standing, laughing, and singing along in full force.
After an exhilarating evening of raging hard rock and roll, Morello introduced legendary drummer Max Weinberg for a couple of songs, which included a fantastic drum solo piece by Weinberg and a great cover of MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams.” It was a monumental moment to get to see Weinberg behind a drum kit, not only for the Springsteen fans, but the fans of one of the most acclaimed drummers on the planet.
The show closed with a powerful version of “Power to the People” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono with The Neighborhood Kids joining for the finale, and a sensational “Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS. The finale was a very fitting ending to a night of song, protest, and hard rock and roll. Morello was in absolutely great form, and the fans left the theatre elated for the great evening of rock.
Here are some photos of Tom Morello performing live at the Lincoln Theatre on Nov. 15, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
Here are some photos of Neighborhood Kids opening Tom Morello at the Lincoln Theatre on Nov. 15, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
