Hours before the start of the rally, a line of energetic people of all ages wound down the steps and around the corner of Morgan Street in downtown Durham. Over 1,000 people had gathered to listen to community members and politicians speak about the state of the nation’s politics and endorse Nida Allam’s congressional campaign.

The crowd waited in anticipation to hear what the politicians and community leaders had to say. In addition to uniting over political beliefs, attendees also bonded through music.

Eliza McLamb and Yasmin Williams both performed at the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Allam. The event took place Feb. 13 at the Durham Convention Center.

McLamb performed first, walking on stage with her acoustic guitar in hand. She wore a black-and-white striped shirt, mirroring the bleach-blonde streak in her dark hair. Her set was short but powerful. She played “Getting Free” from her album “Good Story” and a new, unreleased song.

McLamb, originally from Carrboro, heard about the rally from a friend in the Allam campaign. 

“I’m a huge fan of Bernie,” McLamb said. “He’s the first politician I ever cast a vote for.”

While a political rally is not a common venue for musicians, McLamb said she has always been interested in politics. 

“I’ve always been interested in politics and particularly larger ideas of social justice, which definitely make their way into my work. I really believe in freedom of expression for everyone, and I think it’s impossible to have that if you don’t have all of your basic needs met.”

As McLamb’s performance continued, she encouraged the audience to lift up each other in the community, and to build on the strength of others.

“I’m just here to support people supporting their local progressives, in the ballot box but also supporting our communities locally where we can,” McLamb said.

The next performance was from Yasmin Williams, a composer and fingerstyle guitarist from Woodbridge, Virginia. She performed at the Greensboro rally the day before, after being invited on the tour by Sanders.

Like McLamb, Williams entered the stage with a guitar. The similarities ended there when she laid the guitar across her lap and plucked and strummed complicated melodies.

Coincidentally, Sanders was also the first politician Williams voted for. She chatted with the audience between songs, explaining what they meant and commenting on Sanders’ politics while deciding what to play next. 

Williams said she doesn’t have a prepared setlist.

“I just go out and play,” she said.

Though her songs have no lyrics, Williams has used her platform and identity as an artist to share her political beliefs.

“Since my music is instrumental, I speak out in other ways,” she said.

Williams writes op-eds and papers on how politics impacts music. Her work focuses on workers’ rights in music venues. She said she is also passionate about advocating for free health care, another topic discussed by Allam and Sanders.

The crowd continued to fill in as McLamb and Williams performed, filling seats and spilling into the adjacent ballrooms. The energy in the room was vibrant, as the audience listened attentively to the artists.

Even though many of the audience members had never heard of McLamb or Williams before, their shared political beliefs brought them all to Sander’s tour. 

“I made quite a few new fans,” Williams said. “I would love to do it again.”

After effectively building excitement, the music ended and local speakers began to take the stage. McLamb and Williams watched from the left of the stage, congratulating and supporting each speaker.

Sanders’ tour calls for reducing the influence of billionaires in politics, with the goal of better supporting and representing the working class.

Nelson Kerr-Ritchie, a local student and active member in the Students4Nida community, said he supports her campaign because of her involvement in the local community in the Triangle area. He believes Allam will represent the working class, not the desires of billionaires.

“Nida has run a person-driven campaign,” he said. “She’s an active member of the community. And, I mean, I really hope she wins this.” 

When asked about oligarchies, Williams said, “We have one here, [and] it was impactful to hear a politician openly say that.”

The artists at the “Fighting Oligarchy” rally showed how music can support and unite a community. When the rally ended, the artists, politicians, community leaders and attendees talked together, turning emotion into action.

Both artists are currently on national tours, and will return to the triangle in the upcoming months. Williams will perform at Cat’s Cradle on May 30, and McLamb will perform there April 18.