Following Super Tuesday, Bernie Sanders immediately returned to the campaign trail, stopping at a "Future to Believe In" rally at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine, where voters who "feel the Bern" were treated to a performance by the Kenya Hall Band featuring Jon Fishman of Phish on drums. During the rally the presidential candidate declared the band "one of the great bands in this country."
After warming up the crowd with a performance, the drummer repeated his glowing endorsement of the candidate before the Vermont senator took to the stage and returned the love. "Let me thank, I guess, one of Vermont's heroes, who is now transplanted, Jon Fishman," Sanders said, prompting the drummer to shout "No, thank you!"
The candidate continued: "Jon and Phish have made New England proud. They are one of the great bands, have been one of the great bands in this country," Mashable reports. Watch a clip of the candidate's speech below:
Bernie Sanders calls @Phish one of the country's great bands at a Maine rally, thanking its drummer for his support.https://t.co/kQryFylxbg
— Mashable News (@MashableNews) March 2, 2016
Fishman's performance and speech at the Maine rally follows a similar appearance at Sanders event in New Hampshire last month, JamBase reports. The drummer recently shared an official endorsement video in which he urged fans to vote in the primaries.
Phish got their start in Burlington, Vermont, around the same time Sanders was elected the city's mayor. The band have followed the politician's three-plus decades in public office and have been feeling the Bern for over a decade.
As Rolling Stone points out, Fishman and Phish bassist Mike Gordon performed at a concert in support of the Sanders' senatorial campaign in 2006 following16 years as Vermont's sole congressman.
The band also unofficially endorsed the candidate during last summer's Magnaball festival's soundcheck. Listen to Trey Anastasio et. al. yell, "Feel the Bern," starting around the three-minute mark below.
