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Music

Zedd Explains Why Trump's Travel Ban Led Him to Produce an ACLU Benefit Show

He said he likes the ACLU because it isn't "necessarily anti-Trump" and "fights for everyone's liberties."
Photo courtesy of the artist

Russian-German EDM star Zedd explained in a recent interview what motivated him to organize an upcoming ACLU Benefit show in response to Trump's controversial travel ban. He told Rolling Stone that he felt a "personal connection" to the issue of the ban because of his own experience as an immigrant, and said that he wanted to do the concert in order to raise awareness about the political implications of Trump's executive order. Although the ban has been defeated in court since its instatement, Trump is currently working to replace it with an updated immigration policy.

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Zedd also said that he likes the ACLU because it isn't "necessarily anti-Trump" and "fights for everyone's liberties," and that his intention with the show is to let people "make their own decisions." The concert will be held at the Staples center in Los Angeles on April 3, and feature performances from Skrillex, Incubus, Halsey, and more.

"To be honest, [the travel ban] hasn't directly affected me in any way," he said. "I also realize we're only a couple weeks into this presidency. But coming from someone who was born in one country, lived in another and then in another—without a visa or a green card—I do feel a personal connection to what's happening. And I like what the ACLU stands for."

Zedd also said that it was important "that this wasn't just an EDM show. I wanted the lineup to be multicultural and to have each genre equally represented—some rap, electronic, rock, pop."

Each artist involved with the show will be performing for free. Zedd initially announced his plan to put a benefit show together on Twitter soon after Trump signed the executive order on January 27; he announced the finalized lineup soon thereafter on February 2.

Tickets for the benefit show can be purchased online.