Bon Iver to Join Kamala Harris for Special Performance at Wisconsin Rally

Kamala Harris is set to hold a rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Wednesday, August 7th with her to-be-announced running mate, and she’ll be bringing out a hometown surprise for a special performance: Bon Iver.

The performance was confirmed by Billboard, and Harris’ stop in Eau Claire, Wisconsin will be the second on her “Battleground State Tour,” which begins in Philadelphia on Tuesday. It will be Bon Iver’s first performance since August 2023.

Led by Wisconsin native Justin Vernon, Bon Iver began in Eau Claire, and has performed regularly in the town since their inception in the mid-2000s. They even launched their own festival, the Eaux Claires Music Festival, which Vernon co-curates alongside The National’s Aaron Dessner.

Bon Iver have been politically active in Wisconsin too — the band participated in a 2022 effort titled For Wisconsin, which was a non-partisan initiative to get young people more engaged in the political process. The band also partnered with Noise for Now to promote a Roe v. Wade-themed pro-choice T-shirt in 2020, where 100% of the proceeds went to Planned Parenthood, and played three Get Out the Vote concerts in the lead-up to the 2020 Presidential Election.

Kamala Harris, meanwhile, is expected to announce her running mate for the 2024 Presidential Election on Tuesday, August 6th. Her running mate will then join the Vice President on her “Battleground State Tour,” which will stop at cities in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada. She’s made music a major aspect to her campaign, recruiting Megan Thee Stallion and Quavo to speak at her recent rally in Atlanta, embracing Charli XCX’s Brat endorsement, and soundtracking her entrances with Beyoncé’s “Freedom.”

Bon Iver’s last album was 2019’s i,i, but Justin Vernon and co. have kept busy since then, playing stretches of shows throughout the last two years and collaborating with Taylor Swift, Zach Bryan, and The National.