Vampire Weekend and Justin Vernon perform in support of Bernie Sanders ahead of Iowa caucuses
Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon all performed in support of Bernie Sanders over the weekend for the Iowa caucuses taking place on February 3, with a rally show from Vampire Weekend on February 1 and Vernon performing on January 31, according to Rolling Stone. Vampire Weekend showed their support for Sanders at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids with a set that featured a cover of Thin Lizzy’s 1976 hit 'The Boys are Back in Town' and a set including Vampire Weekend songs '2021', 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa', 'This Life' and 'Holiday'.
Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig shared a comment on his Instagram, January 23, saying, “I still believe that Bernie can win & it’s brutal seeing how much energy goes into convincing voters that one of the most popular politicians in the country (and the one who polls best against Trump) is unelectable”. Koenig goes on to say, “I don’t feel like I’m separating my values and my pragmatism by supporting Bernie and neither do millions of others! Anyway, Bernie’s still the landslide favorite among people 35 and under (across racial and gender lines) so talk to your older, skeptical friends and family about why Bernie can actually win.”
Vampire Weekend had performed at a Students for Bernie rally in Iowa City in the lead-up to the 2016 election, during which Sanders actually joined the band onstage to sing the famous US folk song 'This Land Is Your Land'.
Vernon's support for Sanders came in the form of a solo acoustic set at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa. Vernon sang two 1964 Bob Dylan tracks, 'With God On Our Side' and 'The Times They Are A-Changin'' a cover of Leon Russell's 1970 track 'A Song For You' and three of his own band's songs, 'Blood Bank', 'Flume' and 'For Emma'.
Vernon released a statement, ahead of the performance, pledging his support for Sanders, saying “I believe, unequivocally, that all people deserve support, love, and the freedom to choose how to live their own lives", adding, "There are promises in our constitutional language that are being superseded by money and greed in this country; I believe that Senator Sanders is the only one that has the pedigree, the experience, the courage, and the undying spirit to begin to put these obstacles of freedom to rest.”
During Sanders's 2016 campaign, both Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver supported the Democratic hopeful and took to the stage at rallies in Iowa and New York. Vernon also endorsed Sanders in April 2016 during a Wisconsin rally.