Things have been fairly volatile in Baltimore for the past month. Since the death of Freddie Gray during his arrest, protesters have peacefully tried to express their concerns, while rioters took advantage of the situation and sent the city plummeting on a nationally televised downward spiral. Through it all, celebrities like The Wire‘s David Simon and Beyoncé have reached out to the city. Occasional mentions are nice, but now that the curfew has been lifted, some folks have decided to actually do something for the city.
Rolling Stone reports that Mr. Purple Rain himself, otherwise known as Prince, will stage the Rally 4 Peace concert this Sunday:
“In a spirit of healing, the event is meant to be a catalyst for pause and reflection following the outpouring of violence that has gripped Baltimore and areas throughout the U.S.,” organizer noted in a statement. “As a symbolic message of our shared humanity and love for one another, attendees are invited to wear something gray in tribute to all those recently lost in the violence.”
The statement also says that the event will include “several industry superstars,” as well as Prince. No word yet on who these people are, and whether or not they’ll be in attendance or participating in the concert.
This isn’t necessarily an out-of-the-blue deal for Prince. As Rolling Stone points out, the musician wrote a song about the events in Baltimore and published the lyrics in the Baltimore Sun on Saturday. To claim he has at least paid some attention the city’s ongoing drama wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.
But will it accomplish anything for Baltimore? Probably not, but it’s too early to tell. According to Rolling Stone, some of the proceeds from the event “will benefit local Baltimore-based youth charities,” though exact figures (and the specific charities) aren’t mentioned. So, it’s not a free concert, but at least you can take your mother as a Mother’s Day present.
Tickets go on sale at 5 p.m. EST today at Live Nation.
(Via Rolling Stone)
