The 2020 presidential election is less than a year away, and candidates are doing everything they can to garner support. Bernie Sanders has turned to musicians to boost his numbers. Sanders recently thanked Chicago indie-rockers Ratboys for performing at a rally. Now, Sanders received support by Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend at his Iowa campaign rallies this past weekend. Both Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend energized the crowd by playing several of their hits.
Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon opted to play a solo acoustic set. Vernon performed several of his hits including “Blood Bank,” “Towers,” and “For Emma,” according to Stereogum. Vampire Weekend, unlike Vernon, opted for a full-band performance. The group played an impressive 15-song set, performing tracks like “2021,” “This Life,” and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.” The group also dedicated an energetic cover of Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” to the crowd.
This isn’t the first time Vampire Weekend has publicly supported Sanders for president. The group endorsed the Vermont senator during his 2016 presidential run and sang a rendition of “This Land Is Your Land” joined by Students for Bernie and Sanders himself.
Watch Vampire Weekend perform “The Boys Are Back In Town” above, and find Bon Iver’s full performance below, starting at about 3:02:00 into the video.
