How Turnstile Pulled Off Its Massive Washington Monument Benefit Show: ‘It Took a Village’
Categoria: Musica
“This show felt like a culmination of everything the band has been working toward,” says manager James Vitalo.
Por Billboard | 30/10/2026
On Saturday, Oct. 24, Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile pulled off one of the most impressive feats for any act of any genre in recent memory: a free show at the Washington Monument in the nation’s capital for over 60,000 fans that doubled as a fundraiser that brought in more than $260,000 in humanitarian relief funding for those affected by conflict in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon. It was a massive undertaking, and a massively successful one, for a band that has grown into one of the more critically-acclaimed acts on the music scene right now. In 18 months, the band scored its first top 10 on the Billboard 200 , with 2025’s Never Enough ; won two Grammys, for best metal performance and best rock album; and became the first hardcore band in 45 years to play Saturday Night Live , a slew of milestones that were once hard to imagine. And the show last weekend, within earshot of the power center of the country, constitutes the biggest hardcore headlining show ever, much less one that was also for a good cause. And all that momentum helps earn the band’s manager, Gold Theory Artists founder James Vitalo , the title of Billboard ’s Executive of the Week. Related Turnstile Bring Hardcore Fury (and 60,000 Fans) to Washington Monument: Exclusive Photos Kenny MacPherson, Veteran Music Publisher and Big Deal Music Co-Founder, Dies at 71 Diddy Moved From New Jersey Prison to Similar Facility in Pennsylvania Here, Vitallo — who also manages Knocked Loose, Boy Harsher, Deafheaven and Show Me The Body — talks about how that show came together, the huge success for the band over the past year-plus, and why the show was such a landmark for the group. “It came together through years of planning with an amazing team, including the rest of our management crew and booking agency,” Vitalo says. “Our road crew helped bring it all to life on the ground and create the kind of environment we wanted for everyone. We worked through every obstacle together, knowing that if we could pull it off, we could bring people together and turn that sense of community into something that could do real good.” Related How Much Did Turnstile & Rosalía’s ‘SNL’ Appearances Help Their Streaming Numbers? This past weekend, Turnstile played a free show at the Washington Monument that drew 60,000 people and raised over $260,000 in humanitarian relief for families in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon — the biggest hardcore headlining show ever. What key decision did you make to help make that happen? The biggest decision was to stay the course when things got hard. There were plenty of moments when the practical thing would have been to scale it back or go in a different direction. My role was to keep us committed to the vision and make sure we didn’t let other outside variables talk us out of taking such a high risk. We knew that if we pulled it off, it could bring a lot of people together and help a cause that we stand behind. My approach to managing bands is rooted