Watch: Members of The National, Mumford & Sons and More Perform at Kamala Harris’ Madison Rally

October 31, 2024
Watch: Members of The National, Mumford & Sons and More Perform at Kamala Harris’ Madison Rally

Photo credit: Josh Goleman

Less than a week out from the US presidential election, musicians are showing support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s bid for office by offering songs during rally stops. The latest occurred last night, Oct. 30, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. The event pulled The National’s Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner, Mumford & Sons, Gracie Abrams, and Remi Wolf to the political stage, where they supported their chosen candidates by delivering live performances. 

During the nearly three-hour Badger State gathering, Harris and Walz elicited support from National bandmates Berniger and Dessner. The pair went acoustic during their three-song run-through [watch below, starting at 37:50], conjuring a song about money, “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” before using “I Need My Girl” to allude to their support of Harris and the need for her presence in office. Concluding after “Fake Empire,” Berniger made sure to leave the audience with a reminder to take to the polls, “Get out there and vote. Tell all your friends to vote.”

Later in the night, Mumford & Sons dipped into their songbook and pulled a trio of fan favorites into the mix: “Little Lion Man,” “Awake My Soul,” and “I Will Wait.” Despite his English upbringing, lead vocalist Marcus Mumford expressed, “We love this place, we love this state.” He continued, “And I know it might not sound like it, ’cause I grew up in England, but I was born in America. I was born in California. And, last week it was my great privilege to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz to be president and vice president of the United States of America. And I would encourage you to get with your mates, make a voting plan, and go out and vote, ‘cause every vote will matter.” Watch Mumford & Sons at the video’s 1:42 mark.

In addition to members of The National and Mumford & Sons, the Madison rally also featured performances by Gracie Abrams and Remi Wolf, who assisted separately in striking interest and support in Harris/Walz, particularly among younger voters. Watch the full coverage below.