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Music News: 1,500 Juggalos march on Washington

Fans of the US rap group Insane Clown Posse, known as Juggalos, rally on September 16, 2017 in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to protest a 2011 FBI decision to classify their movement as a gang.
Fans of the US rap group Insane Clown Posse, known as Juggalos, rally on September 16, 2017 in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to protest a 2011 FBI decision to classify their movement as a gang.PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

by Jay Gabler

September 17, 2017

Approximately 1,500 Juggalos joined a march in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, protesting a 2011 decision by the U.S. Justice Department to put Insane Clown Posse fans on a list of potentially dangerous gangs. The rap band and the ACLU sued the FBI in 2014 trying to change the Juggalos' classification, to no avail thus far. The rally climaxed with an address and performance by ICP themselves.

The Juggalos ended up outnumbering participants in another rally on the National Mall that day: a would-be "Mother of All Rallies" in support of President Donald Trump. That rally inspired its own counterprotest, but as Billboard reports, "both sides were dwarfed by the Juggalos."

Rolling Stone going up for sale

Founder Jann Wenner is putting his controlling stake in Rolling Stone up for sale. Wenner and his son Gus Wenner, who's now the president of Wenner Media, say they intend to stay on at the magazine if a new owner agrees to it. Why the sale? The New York Times cites "how inhospitable the media landscape has become as print advertising and circulation have dried up," also noting the publication's declining influence as a music tastemaker and the serious blow its journalistic reputation suffered after a debunked 2014 story about a reported rape at the University of Virginia led to a $3 million judgment against Rolling Stone.

U2, Ed Sheeran cancel St. Louis shows in wake of protests

U2, Ed Sheeran, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra all canceled weekend performances in St. Louis due to safety concerns in the wake of protests over the acquittal of former police officer Jason Stockley in the 2011 shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith.

"Deeply saddened at what has happened in St. Louis and having to cancel our show tonight," said Bono in a statement on Saturday. "I found myself reading Dr. King’s speech from the National Cathedral and asking myself is this 1968 or 2017?" (Rolling Stone)

Cash family fight white supremacists

Johnny Cash’s estate and record labels have asked the white supremacist radio show Stormfront Radio to stop using Cash's cover of Tom Petty’s "I Won't Back Down" as part of its programming.

"There aren't 'two sides,'" says the country legend's daughter Rosanne Cash. "There are no 'decent' or 'fine' Nazis and we will not tolerate any such group using our dad's work for their purposes."

"Please," added her brother John Carter Cash regarding their father's legacy, "let his actions speak for who he was: a simple, loving man who never supported hate or bigotry." (Rolling Stone)

Third Man Records to reissue Chess classics

Jack White’s Third Man Records plans to reissue classic recordings from the seminal Chess Records catalog of blues and rock. First up: three 7" singles by Muddy Waters. (Billboard)

Morrissey joins Twitter, sort of

You could be the first person ever followed on Twitter by Morrissey. A verified account for the alternative rock icon has appeared, but has yet to follow anyone or tweet. Morrissey's past history with Twitter has been contentious: he shot down a fake Morrissey account in 2014, and when an official account for the Smiths appeared last year, the band's former frontman advised fans to "follow it at your peril." (Pitchfork)

MaccaBoss

Bruce Springsteen joined Paul McCartney onstage at Madison Square Garden on Friday night: the two Hall of Famers duetted on the Beatles nugget "I Saw Her Standing There," with the E Street Band’s Steve Van Zandt joining in on guitar.

The Boss will be spending quite a bit of time in New York this winter: his show Springsteen on Broadway runs from Oct. 3 through Feb. 3. (Billboard)