During performance, vocalist Justin Vernon called the tune “a nice old patriotic song that’s been rolling around in my head these last months”
Bon Iver played an acoustic rendition of “The Battle Cry of Freedom” during a rally for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Wednesday.
Justin Vernon, lead vocalist in the indie folk band, told the crowd he wanted to end the performance with “a nice old patriotic song that’s been rolling around in my head these last months.” Before getting his sheet music in order, Vernon, wearing a camouflage Harris and Walz hat, added, “I love this melody, I love y’all. Appreciate ya. 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.”
Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, Vernon’s debut album whose love-torn folk went on to influence the likes of Ed Sheeran and Kanye West, was featured on Rolling Stone’s “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list at Number 461.
The presumptive Democratic nominee for president has welcomed several musical guests to her rallies along the campaign trail. On Tuesday, actor and comedian Nick Offerman sang his own rendition of “God Bless the U.S.A.” during a Comics for Kamala fundraiser, singing, “I’m proud to be a Kamala man, who has quit the GOP/Because I can’t just abide by a man who’s tried for 34 felonies. And I’ll proudly stand up and face the facts that the men that I once cheered are a bunch of wing-nut white nationalists.”
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Harris previously welcomed Megan Thee Stallion and Quavo at an Atlanta rally last month. Quavo, who was born in Georgia, expressed his support for the presidential candidate and praised her position on gun safety. Quavo has been an outspoken gun safety advocate following the shooting death of Migos member Takeoff in 2022.
“One thing I learned from working with Vice President Harris is she always stands on business,” Quavo said during the rally.
