As the Wikipedia article notes, one of the concerns with allowing RATM to perform was their most recent album title. “The Battle of Los Angeles” was a nod to both the imagined aerial attack on the city during World War II and the ongoing message of the band’s songs that our government would never fix itself. It is the people, not the politicians who must create the will to solve our problems. It was also an excuse for an overwhelming and violent police presence, justified by the risk of violence. Where have we heard that before?
https://newsletter.mattdragon.com/archive/things-im-reading-2026-03-24/