Common and the National headline Planned Parenthood benefit Show Up!

Common and the National will co-headline the Planned Parenthood benefit Show Up! on January 19th. The event, billed as a “concert for reproductive health, freedom and justice” will take place the night before the presidential inauguration at Washington D.C.’s 9:30 Club.

“We plan to send a clear message to the incoming administration that millions of people across this country are prepared to fight attacks on reproductive health care and abortion services,” Planned Parenthood’s president, Cecile Richards, said in a statement.
While Common and the National are on the bill as the only musical performers, the show, hosted by the All Access music and comedy series, will also feature activists, elected leaders, celebrities and more who support abortion rights and widespread access for women to reproductive health services.
The show announcement comes on the heels of House Speaker Paul Ryan’s announcement that the GOP will make an effort to strip all federal funding for Planned Parenthood as part of their process to completely abolish Obamacare. Soon after the election, given both President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s strict pro-life stances, funding for Planned Parenthood soared with many putting their donations in Pence’s name.
“Women should be able to make their own decisions regarding their bodies and health,” the National’s Matt Berninger offered in his statement on the event. “This is a basic human right, and we’re at the very beginning of a long and tough battle to defend these basic rights. A concert in D.C., inspiring people to take action, seems like a pretty good way to kick it off.”