The afternoon of the first day of the 29th International Convention got off to a rocking start with Tom Morello delivering a raging performance after General President Jim Hoffa presented the guitarist with the Teamsters President’s Award.

“Tom Morello’s music and solidarity electrifies Teamsters and everything we fight for,” Hoffa said before giving the award to Morello.

“I come from a union family,” Morello said. “This award really belongs to all the rank-and-file workers fighting every day.”

Morello brought his soundtrack of working-class ballads to the Teamster stage. With a hard-rock punch, shrieking guitar strings and pro-worker politics, Morello brought Teamsters to their feet with fists in the air. His set included renditions of labor music classics like “Solidarity Forever” as well as Bruce Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”

“Being recognized by the most powerful union in North America, the Teamsters, is truly an honor. For me music is the message, and the message is solidarity,” Morello said.

Morello—a musician, activist and longtime friend of labor and Teamsters—is the guitarist behind Rage Against the Machine. Some of the labor-inspired songs performed were first released on his solo “Union Town” album under the name The Nightwatchman. Morello’s latest band, Prophets of Rage, is shaking up the political music scene once again with unapologetic social justice jamming.

“My music is about being rebellious, militant and—like the Teamsters—stirring up trouble to win justice for poor and working people all over the world.”

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