Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to headline MadSoul festival in Florida

The New York Democrat headlined a recent concert in Florida that took a partisan politics-as-entertainment approach.

Two artists headlined Saturday at MadSoul, a music and arts festival in Florida. The first was Muna, an indie-pop band who opened for Taylor Swift on select stops on the Eras Tour. The second: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York.

She and several Democratic elected officials shared the stage with musicians like Phoebe Bridgers during the event a day at Loch Haven Park. in Orlando. Other politicians included Reps. Greg Casar of Texas and Maxwell Frost of Florida, the first Gen Z member in Congress.

Mr. Frost, a percussionist, is also the founder of the MadSoul Festival, which he launched in 2018 while working as an organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union. He said in an interview before this year's event that he "personally booked all the programming."

Mr. Frost – who played drums for Venture Motel, a local band, during his concert at the festival – described the event as a way to reach people who may not be as interested in politics as they are in entertainment, a concept that has become widespread. since the election of the country's first reality TV star president.

ImageRepresenting Maxwell Frost , the Florida Democrat and MadSoul Festival founder played drums for a local band during his set. Credit...Todd Anderson for The New York Times

ImageNearly 3,000 people attended to the event, many of whom said they were drawn primarily by the promise of music and the arts.Credit...Todd Anderson for The New York Times

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