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 abolitionism during the Civil War. Watch that moment below.
“We’re gonna close out here with a nice, old, patriotic song that’s been rolling around in my head these past months,” Vernon said before playing “The Battle Cry of Freedom.” “I love this melody and I love y’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 thing, make this music, and make way for the people that we need to hear from.”
When sharing the news that Bon Iver would perform at Harris’ Eau Claire rally, the band stated, “It’s time to rally around the right candidate for President. One who will fight for women’s and trans 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 for Democrat Nick Butler’s campaign for local Wisconsin government. Vernon was also a vocal advocate of Bernie Sanders in the 2016 and 2020 elections and played at several 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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