Today, Bon Iver performed at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in Justin Vernon's hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They played 'Towers', '666 ʇ' and 'Flume'. Most notably, Bon Iver ended the set with a cover of “The Battle Cry of Freedom,” a patriotic song written by George Frederick Root in support of the Union and abolition during the Civil War. Watch the moment below.
“We're going to close here with a nice, old, patriotic song that's been going around in my head for the past few months,” Vernon said before playing “The Battle Cry of Freedom.” “I love this tune and I love you all. I appreciate you. We're here for the right reasons and we all know what we're here for, so we're going to do our job, make this music and make it for the people who need to hear it.”
When sharing the news that Bon Iver would perform at Harris' Eau Claire rally, the band said, “It's time to rally around the right candidate for President. One who will fight for women's and transgender rights and govern with dignity and respect.”
Today's rally performance was the latest in Bon Iver's long history of political engagement, both locally and nationally. Earlier this year, the band pledged their support to Democrat Nick Butler's campaign for Wisconsin local government. Vernon was also a staunch supporter of Bernie Sanders in the 2016 and 2020 elections and performed at many rallies and fundraisers. He also promotes nonpartisan voter registration drives when possible, including at the Eaux Claires Music Festival he co-founded with the National's Aaron Dessner.
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