Tom Morello, one of the most innovative rock guitarists of the last 30 years, has been included in the lineup of the inaugural South Star Music Festival in Huntsville, Alabama.

Morello rose to fame with his band Rage Against The Machine. He replaces alt-rock icons Jane’s Addiction on the South Star bill. Jane’s Addiction canceled the remainder of their 2024 reunion tour after singer Perry Farrell attacked guitarist Dave Navarro mid-song onstage during a September 13 concert in Boston.

Morello will perform on the festival’s opening night of South Star on September 28th from 5:15pm to 6:15pm on the Supersonic Stage. Nineties R&B legends TLC have been moved to the Saturday slot of 7:15pm to 8:15pm on the Supersonic Stage, where Jane’s Addiction was originally scheduled to perform.

Pop superstar and No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani will close out Saturday night at the South Star with a supersonic stage performance from 9:30pm to 11pm. Other artists set to perform at the South Star on Saturday include Shinedown, Jimmy Eat World, Juvenile, Gin Blossoms, Candlebox, Dexter and the Moonrocks and Winona Fighter.

Pop-punk stars blink-182 headline Sunday. Sunday’s lineup also includes: Beck, Sublime, Goo Goo Dolls, Ludacris, Big Boi, Pete Yorn, Vanessa Carlton, Bully and Billy Allen + The Pollies.

Morello recently released a solo single, “Soldier In The Army of Love.” The track features Morello’s signature head-nodding riffs, with soul sister backing vocals on the chorus. Morello’s son, Roman Morello, plays wah-wah-infused lead guitar on the track.

With Rage Against The Machine, Morello developed a unique guitar technique that mimics the sounds a rap DJ creates by scratching a record and manipulating a mixing desk. Morello’s conventional guitar influences include metal gods like Randy Rhoads and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. Rage Against The Machine scored hits like “Killing In The Name.” The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.

In the early 2000s, Morello was part of Audioslave, a supergroup fronted by Soundgarden expat Chris Cornell. Morello has also released folk albums under the name The Nightwatchman.

Morello was born in New York, grew up in Illinois and later moved to Los Angeles. He has also released four solo albums under his own name. In the early 2010s, he also played guitar with Bruce Springsteen.

According to setlist.fm, Morello’s setlists included solo pieces such as “Hold the Line” and the aforementioned “Soldier in the Army of Love,” versions of Rage classics such as “Bulls On Parade” and “Bombtrack,” Audioslave classics such as “Cochise” and “Like a Stone,” and covers of MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams” and John Lennon’s “Power to the People.”

South Star is produced by C3 Presents of Austin, Texas. C3’s other festival productions have included Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Shaky Knees in Atlanta and Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans. Tickets for South Star are available at southstarfestival.com/tickets.

Huntsville hasn’t hosted a major music festival since the last Big Spring Jam in 2011. The engineering-focused city’s music profile has steadily risen since the opening of the Orion Amphitheater in spring 2022.