Jack Black's Jack Sabbath joined by Geezer Butler for 'War Pigs'
Jack Black fronted his Black Sabbath tribute act Jack Sabbath at Tom Morello's Power to the People Festival on 3 October, and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler joined him for the finale. The pair played "War Pigs" together at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, as reported by Rolling Stone. Black sang lead. Butler played bass.
The festival took place on 3 October at Merriweather Post Pavilion, and was curated by Morello, according to its official site. The organisers bill the event as a day of peace, love, justice, and music. The bill was topped by Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews and Foo Fighters, as reported by The Banner. It was a full-day, multi-act programme at the Maryland amphitheatre.
Jack Sabbath played three songs. The set opened with "Mr. Crowley" followed by "The Wizard." Butler then walked on for "War Pigs" to close it. The festival line-up behind Black featured Roman Morello on guitar, Revel Ian on bass, Yoyoka Soma on drums and Hugo Weiss on keyboards.
The Power to the People appearance was a step up for a band that started as a party piece. Jack Sabbath debuted in 2023 performing "Mr. Crowley" at the 100th birthday party for Morello's mother, Mary. Black has stayed close to the Sabbath circle since. He delivered the speech when Ozzy Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2024. The 2024 induction recognised Osbourne as a solo artist, separate from his work with the band.
Butler has made a habit of turning up for "War Pigs." In 2022 he joined Apocalyptica on stage in Las Vegas to perform the same Sabbath song. That history made Saturday's pairing less of a surprise and more of a continuation. A tribute act, in industry terms, is simply a band that performs the songs of another artist, often with a well-known fan out front.
What makes this stand out is the link between tribute and source. Black fronted a festival band put together for the day. Butler, Black Sabbath's bassist, stepped into that band for one song. For fans in Columbia, it meant three songs, one guest, and a finale sung with one of the people who made the song.
