Why Local Musicians are Raising Money to Support the Save Samuels Library PAC

On August 14, 2025, local musicians, comedians, and artists will gather for Rock for a Cause—a benefit concert in support of the Save Samuels Library PAC. This isn’t just about great live music. It’s a stand for fundamental American freedoms—our freedom to read, to think, to speak, and to write.

In March, the Warren County Board of Supervisors voted 4–1 to strip Samuels Public Library of its $1 million in annual county funding. This wasn’t about budget priorities. It was a political move aimed squarely at LGBTQ-themed books and the freedom of all readers to access them. It was about censorship and the tyranny of an extremist religious minority group.

Samuels Library—founded in 1799 and named Virginia’s Library of the Year in 2024 by the Virginia Library Association —is a model of public-private partnership. It serves our entire community, with policies that balance access and parental control. Yet, despite meaningful accommodations by library leadership and public outcry, the Board pushed forward with defunding and demands for direct oversight—an outright attack on our liberties.

Voters are pushing back. Recent primary victories by Hugh Henry and Tony Carter—both library supporters—signal that the Board’s overreach is out of step with the will of the people.

Our concert, held at The Catamount Lounge, is a celebration of free expression. It’s also a rebuke of the Board’s misguided power grab and a reminder that book banning is un-American.

We invite all of our neighbors to stand with us—artists, readers, voters—in support of a library that serves everyone. On August 14, let’s make it clear: we reject censorship, and we choose freedom.

Local artists and citizens –

Joe Plenzler
Paul Jannicola
Shenan Hahn
Julieta Hernandez
Chris Kenworthy
Performing Artists and Warren County Residents

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