Since Trump's takeover, dozens of shows at the Kennedy Center have been canceled. That includes Finn, a musical for gay, trans, and nonbinary youth. On Friday (Mar. 28), Guster brought out the cast of that production at the Kennedy Center to perform their song "Hard Times."
While introducing the Finn cast, Guster’s Ryan Miller said:
My friend named Michael wrote the songs for a musical called Finn. In the before times they were booked to play here, but as all of you know, things happened, and the show is no longer presenting here by the Kennedy Center. As the new administration has made abundantly clear, Finn’s themes of inclusivity, love, and self-acceptance aren’t going to be welcome in this building while they are in control.
So tonight our band is here to say our stage is your stage. We are your allies, we stand with the LGBTQ community, and we want you to sing with us. Please welcome the cast of Finn and composer Michael Kooman.
They belong here.
The Kennedy Center claimed the decision to cancel Finn was “a purely financial decision,” but it comes after Trump's decision to eliminate the center’s “woke” programs and go “slightly more conservative.”
Earlier this month Guster went viral when they discussed the Game and Chris Brown's song "Pot Of Gold" sampling their song "Rocketship" without their permission. Their manager Dalton Sim "shook them down for everything he could and we donated the money to a women's shelter in Boston because we didn't want the association with Chris Brown."
Watch Guster and the cast of Finn play "Hard Times" below.
@gustertheband Guster Track in “Pot of Gold” by The Game #guster #rocketship #thegame #donate #boston ♬ Pot Of Gold - Game
