A free concert at the Kennedy Center by acclaimed guitarist Yasmin Williams has erupted into controversy, after a group of attendees allegedly booed and heckled her during the performance. Multiple reports indicate the disruption was tied to the D.C. chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, who were invited to a meeting at the venue immediately following Williams’ September 18 set.
Williams, who is known both for her innovative fingerstyle guitar playing and outspoken political views, later shared a statement calling the disruption a calculated attempt to intimidate her. “This is clearly a calculated attempt to intimidate and harass me at my own show… This is completely unacceptable and I will not allow this to go unnoticed,” she wrote on social media. She added that she performed at the Kennedy Center to stand in solidarity with its staff and union members, many of whom she praised from the stage.
According to Washingtonian and Washington Post reporting, Kennedy Center staff said that 50 passes for the show had been set aside by the office of Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim president of the Kennedy Center, for members of the Log Cabin Republicans. Staff told the Post that security was alerted to the group’s intent shortly before the performance began, with multiple guards deployed inside the hall as a precaution.
The Kennedy Center has publicly denied those claims. Spokesperson Roma Daravi called the suggestion of coordination “an absolutely ridiculous claim,” stressing that Grenell had no involvement. “Republicans are patrons too and they are welcome… just like anyone else,” she said. Grenell himself has not made a personal statement, and the Log Cabin Republicans declined to comment when asked.
Williams had previously shared email correspondence with Grennel with Washingtonian Magazine, describing the exchanges as “absolutely insane.”
The incident has added to the tensions surrounding Grenell’s leadership of the federally chartered arts institution, which has already seen multiple high-profile artists cancel appearances in protest. Critics argue that political events have been allowed at the Center that would have been prohibited under prior leadership.
The controversy also resonates beyond the Kennedy Center because of Grenell’s parallel role as a recently appointed member of the board of directors at Live Nation Entertainment. TicketNews previously reported on the backlash to that appointment, with industry executives accusing the concert giant of attempting to curry favor with the Trump administration as it faces antitrust and consumer-protection lawsuits from the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission.
While Live Nation has not issued any statement regarding the Kennedy Center incident, Grenell’s presence on its board has already sparked questions about whether the company’s governance is intertwined with political considerations at a time when its business practices are under intense scrutiny.
For her part, Williams has received broad support from fellow artists and fans, including public messages from musicians such as Rhiannon Giddens praising her decision to perform and speak out. “If it happened to me, it could happen to anyone,” Williams warned in her statement, urging audiences not to ignore what she called harassment and intimidation.
TicketNews sent an email requesting comment from Live Nation Thursday afternoon, but has not received a response as of press time.
