Vampire Weekend performed at a rally in Iowa to show their support of Bernie Sanders, even covering some Thin Lizzy in the process.
Showing their support for the democratic hopeful at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Vampire Weekend delivered an entertaining set that even managed to feature a cover of Thin Lizzy’s 1976 hit ‘The Boys are Back in Town’, as well as delving into other hits including ‘2021’, ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’, ‘Holiday’ and ‘This Life’.
Watch Vampire Weekend cover Thin Lizzy below.
“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,” Ezra Koenig wrote on Instagram earlier this week.
“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 favourite among people 35 and under (across racial and gender lines) so talk to your older, sceptical friends and family about why Bernie can actually win.”
In the lead-up to the 2016 election, Vampire Weekend performed at a Students for Bernie rally in Iowa City, with Sanders joining the band onstage to sing ‘This Land Is Your Land.’
Justin Vernon of Bon Iver also played an acoustic set in support of Bernie, at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa. The night was intended to garner support for the candidate, as Vernon delivered his rendition of two 1964 Bob Dylan tracks: ‘With God on our Side’ and ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’.
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Ahead of his performance, Justin Vernon released a statement about his support for Sanders: “I believe, unequivocally, that all people deserve support, love, and the freedom to choose how to live their own lives. There are promises in our constitutional language that are being superseded by money and greed in this country; I believe that Senator Sanders is the only one that has the pedigree, the experience, the courage, and the undying spirit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.”
Watch Bon Iver covering Bob Dylan below.
