Democrats are relying on star power. Will it matter?

In the weeks before the Oct. 20 election, Harris was helped by music legend Stevie Wonder of Jonesboro, Georgia, who rallied the faithful with a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” A few days later in Atlanta, Harris and former President Barack Obama headlined a rally that featured Springsteen and speeches from famed director Spike Lee and actor Samuel L. Jackson. The campaign continued a day later with a rally in Texas, during which Willie Nelson performed and Beyonce gave a speech.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, also benefited from the celebrity push. Earlier this month, singer-songwriter James Taylor performed at events with the governor of North Carolina. Walz, along with Harris, spoke Monday at an event in Michigan that featured a five-song set by singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.

“I’m coming for Harris,” said Ashley Oberheide, a neighborhood resident who attended Harris’ outdoor rally at Burns Park in Ann Arbor. “I love when musical artists get behind her, but I’m always here for Harris.” She called Rogers. “extra bonus”.

Audrey Hudson, a nursing student at the University of Michigan who voted for the first time just days before the rally, described her participation as “fulfilling a civic duty combined with meeting an artist I love.”

“I’m here to support Kamala and Walz, but Maggie Rogers. I’ve loved her music since I was in middle school. She had a huge impact on me,” Hudson said, adding that she believes artists like Rogers are more relatable to young voters and can influence the way they vote.

Ann Arbor resident Rachel Lieberman, 29, said her hometown rally was her third event in Harris and that Rogers was the “cherry on the cake” that she believed would help drive out the youth vote.

“I think this is all about trying to get younger generations to vote,” Lieberman said.

Harris and Democrats aren’t just relying on event appearances. After Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian who spoke at Sunday’s Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean,” the Democratic campaign gained public support from rapper Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and artist Ricky Martin, three of the most famous personalities from Puerto Rico. The three have a combined following of over 300 million across various social media platforms.

Many of the events are part of Harris’ “When We Vote We Win” concert series, which aims to encourage supporters to vote early in key battleground states. She is expected to have more famous supporters in the coming days.

Wednesday’s Wisconsin campaign will feature performances by Gracie Abrams, Mumford & Sons, Remi Wolf and The National’s Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner at her rally in Madison. On Thursday, her Arizona rally will feature Los Tigres del Norte, the famous norteño band from Sinaloa, Mexico. Finally, on Friday, Harris will headline a rally in Las Vegas that will feature Maná, a Mexican pop-rock band from Guadalajara, Mexico, and a speech by Lopez.

The 2020 campaign was a star-studded standout. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, large campaign events have been rare, especially on the Democratic side. Celebrities appeared on social media in videos of then-Vice President Joe Biden, who went on to defeat Trump.

Trump does enjoy the support of celebrities who appeal deeply to his core voter base, such as singer Lee Greenwood, television personality Dr. Phil McGraw and former football stars such as Brett Favre, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Country singer Jason Aldean recently spoke at a Trump rally in Georgia, and Nick Bosa, star defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, recently inserted himself into a postgame interview with a teammate to show off his MAGA hat.

But the GOP nominee largely has no response to Harris’ celebrity-laden events. Trump, whose career has made him a star, often brings star power to his events. And when a star like Hinchcliffe makes headlines at a Trump event, it can cause problems for the Republican campaign.

The focus on star-studded events is characterized by raucous arena events, which often leaves Democrats optimistic and hopeful about their chances. However, this strategy can also obscure certain problems: When crowds are energized by celebrities and musical performances, problems with sending a candidate’s message or maintaining an important voter base can be overshadowed, as highlighted by the unsuccessful 2016 candidacy of former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

The final week of Clinton’s campaign eight years ago was a veritable red carpet full of music icons and celebrities. Her final campaign rally, a hectic event in North Carolina, was headlined by Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga. Her most recent event with former President Barack Obama ended with Springsteen performing at Philadelphia’s Independence Mall. She culminated her campaign in Ohio with a performance by Jay Z and Beyonce in Cleveland. Just days earlier, she packed the Bayfront Park Amphitheater in downtown Miami, Florida with a stunning performance by Lopez.

“We just heard Jennifer perform ‘Let’s Get Loud.’ Well, I say, “Let’s be loud” at the ballot box. You can vote earlier. Don’t wait another day to vote,” Clinton exclaimed.

The Clinton campaign energized each of the battleground states so that the energy they felt during the event could carry them to victory.

A few days later, Clinton lost North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, and then-businessman Trump became president.

Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder in Ann Arbor, Michigan, contributed to this report.