Current:Home > BackOpinion: Mourning Harris' loss? Here's a definitive list of her best campaign performers.-VaTradeCoin
Opinion: Mourning Harris' loss? Here's a definitive list of her best campaign performers.
View Date:2025-01-09 12:00:24
This presidential election has been a nail-biter for many Americans. Vice President Kamala Harris has called president-elect Donald Trump to concede. As we grapple with Trump's win and return to the White House, allow me (your favorite USA TODAY columnist) to provide a moment of levity in a time when it's so rare.
Since August, Harris has made stops in 11 states on the campaign trail, according to Axios. Harris' rallies have been graced with guests ranging from Cardi B to Beyoncé to Samuel L. Jackson and myriad musical performers have breathed life and energy into these events.
In an attempt to take my mind off of ... well, everything ... I took it upon myself to score some of the most notable performances.
Megan Thee Stallion performs at a Harris rally in Atlanta
The Houston-born rapper gave an energetic performance at Harris’ first rally in Atlanta. Megan Thee Stallion and her ensemble donned blue suits, similar to those worn by Beyoncé’s background dancers during a Hillary Clinton rally performance in 2016. The rapper opened with her 2020 song “Girls in the Hood.” The song’s second line, “I’m sick of motherf---ers tryna tell me how to live,” read less like a personal confession and more like a political rallying cry. After performing “Mamushi,” Thee Stallion took a beat before transitioning into “Body.” “Now I know my ladies in the crowd love their bodies,” she said. “And you want to keep loving your body ‒ you know who to vote for!” #HottiesforHarris
Kofi score: 4/5
Bon Iver performs in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Justin Vernon, front man of Bon Iver, performed at a Harris rally in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with bandmates Sean Carey and Michael Lewis. The performance was mellow and pensive, like much of the band's music and provided an atmosphere to reflect the political moment. The band performed their songs “Towers,” “Flume” and “666 ʇ.” Before their last song, an acoustic rendition of “The Battle Cry of Freedom” by George Frederick Root, Vernon stated his place in all of this: “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.”
Kofi score: 4/5
Opinion:Harris has adapted to changing media reality. It's time journalism does the same.
Bruce Springsteen joins Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee and Obama
Bruce Springsteen is probably as American as it gets. Last month, he joined Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee and former President Barack Obama at a Harris rally in Atlanta where he performed an acoustic set.
“I want a president who reveres the Constitution, who does not threaten, but wants to protect and guide our great democracy, who believes in the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power, who will fight for a woman’s rights, a woman's right to choose, and who wants to create a middle-class economy that will serve all our citizens,” Springsteen said. “There is only one candidate who holds those principles dear, that's Kamala Harris.”
Eight days before Election Day, the rock 'n' roll superstar lent his star power to a Harris rally in Philadelphia and played a solo acoustic set with his classic guitar and harmonica. His performance included songs like "The Promised Land" and "Dancing in the Dark."
Kofi score: 3/5
Maggie Rogers sings 'Don't Forget Me' in Ann Arbor, Michigan
At a rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers performed her songs “Light On,” “Don’t Forget Me” and “A Different Kind of World” among others. She was able to engage the crowd of young voters with her songs while sharing her personal thoughts on the election and our future.
“The future feels so uncertain and I don’t always know what to do with that feeling,” Rogers said. “Voting is the key to the future.”
She said voting is the key to a candidate who believes in reproductive freedoms, will fight climate change and uphold "basic human dignity for all people.”
“In these next eight days, you can fight back against the fear of Donald Trump and everything that he creates,” Rogers said. “You can take action against his darkness. You can choose the light.”
Kofi score: 5/5
Opinion:Taylor Swift has 'done her research.' Did her Harris endorsement make any difference?
Gracie Abrams, with 'Free Now,' captivated in Madison, Wisconsin
Before she captivated the audience with a performance of “I Love You, I’m Sorry” and “Risk,” Gracie Abrams expressed grievances shared by many young voters at a Harris rally in Madison, Wisconsin.
“For many of us here onstage and in this crowd tonight, this is either the first or second time that we’ve had the privilege of voting in a presidential election,” Abrams said. “As we know, we’ve inherited a world that is struggling and it’s easy to feel disconnected and disillusioned. Between the advent of social media in our childhoods and COVID-19 and relentlessly targeted disinformation, we’ve been through some things. It’s easy to be discouraged, but we know better. We know that unless we vote and keep our democracy intact, there is nothing we will be able to do to fix it when it is our turn.”
Her closing song, “Free Now,” injected an energetic glimpse of hope into the audience: “I’ve never been less empty, all I feel is free now.”
Kofi score: 5/5
Mumford & Sons, fathers of stomp-clap-hey, underwhelm
Mumford & Sons, the kings of stomp-clap-hey, millennial music, performed four songs, “The Cave,” “Little Lion Man,” “Awake My Soul” and “I Will Wait,” at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.
Kofi score: 2.3/5
The National is hard to nail down, ironically
Aaron Dessner and Matt Berninger of American rock band The National dedicated their song “I Need My Girl” to Harris at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.
Kofi score: 2.8842749204/5
Remi Wolf should've performed more songs
Indie singer-songwriter Remi Wolf opened her rally performance by talking about the safe space she creates for her fans at her concerts. She believes America should be the same ‒ a place where everyone feels “safe, accepted and free.”
Wolf’s electrifying vocals soared high above the audience as she belted out “Cinderella” and a rendition of Janis Joplin’s version of “Piece of My Heart.”
Kofi score: 4/5 only because it should’ve been longer.
Lady Gaga goes up in Philadelphia
At the final Harris rally before Election Day in Philadelphia, Lady Gaga took to the stage to perform a rendition of “God Bless America.” She then discussed how the tide is turning for women in America.
“For more than half of this country’s life, women didn’t have a voice. Yet, we raised children, we held our families together, we supported men as they made the decisions,” she said. “But tomorrow, women will be a part of making this decision.”
She later returned to the stage to perform a powerful rendition of “The Edge of Glory.”
Kofi score: 3/5
Katy Perry is a mother
At the final Harris rally, Katy Perry took to the stage to perform a myriad of her hits including “Dark Horse,” “Part of Me” and “Firework.” She then, for some reason, decided to cover “Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston (OK, girl). She ended her performance by discussing how motherhood impacted her choice this election.
"Four years ago, I became a mother," Perry said. "She is the reason I am voting for Kamala Harris. I know she will protect my daughter's future and your children's future."
Kofi score: 2/5
Kofi Mframa is a columnist and digital producer for USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network.
veryGood! (967)
Related
- Fighting conspiracy theories with comedy? That’s what the Onion hopes after its purchase of Infowars
- Active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine: Police
- Biden officials shelve plan to require some migrants to remain in Texas after local backlash
- Halloween alert: Test finds many chocolates contain concerning levels of metals
- Young Black and Latino men say they chose Trump because of the economy and jobs. Here’s how and why
- U.S. sees spike in antisemitic incidents since beginning of Israel-Hamas war, Anti-Defamation League says
- Priest kicked out of Jesuits for alleged abuse of women welcomed into Slovenia diocese
- As online banking grew, mortgage lending regulations didn't follow suit. Until now.
- Bev Priestman fired as Canada women’s soccer coach after review of Olympic drone scandal
- Biden will not appear on the primary ballot in New Hampshire. Here's why.
Ranking
- Brush fire erupts in Brooklyn's iconic Prospect Park amid prolonged drought
- Chicago father convicted of attempted murder in shootings to avenge 2015 slaying of 9-year-old son
- Hasbro announces Monopoly Knockout, a new edition of the Monopoly board game
- 'All the Light We Cannot See': What to know about Netflix adaption of Anthony Doerr’s book
- Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter to perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
- How Cedric Beastie Jones’ Wife Barbie Is Honoring Late Actor After His Death
- Trump isn’t accustomed to restrictions. That’s beginning to test the legal system
- 2024 NBA All-Star Game will return to East vs. West format
Recommendation
-
Mega Millions winning numbers for November 12 drawing: Jackpot rises to $361 million
-
Paris museum says it will fix skin tone of Dwayne The Rock Johnson's wax figure
-
DeSantis is sending some weapons to Israel in move that could bolster him in the GOP primary
-
China says it wants to bolster climate cooperation with US as California Gov. Newsom visits Beijing
-
Catholic bishops urged to boldly share church teachings — even unpopular ones
-
Have student loans? Want free pizza? Dominos is giving away $1 million worth of pies.
-
Police in Illinois fatally shoot sledgehammer-wielding man after reported domestic assault
-
The Middle East crisis is stirring up a 'tsunami' of mental health woes