Indie rockers were among the many musicians who played a part in Zohran Mamdani’s successful campaign to become mayor of New York City. Lucy Dacus, for instance, welcomed Mamdani onstage during her performance at All Things Go. Mamdani is keeping that connection going as his term officially begins today.
After being sworn in at midnight, Mamdani got a more elaborate inauguration event today at City Hall. Dacus was there to perform “Bread And Roses,” the longstanding political anthem associated with women’s suffrage and workers’ rights, with lyrics drawn from James Oppenheim’s 1911 poem. It’s been covered over the years by artists including Judy Collins, Phil Collins, Pete Seeger, and Utah Phillips, and Dacus’ supergroup boygenius once worked it into their song “Stay Down.”
At today’s event, a bundled-up Dacus sang “Bread And Roses” accompanied by Sarah Goldstone on Omnichord. Watch footage of the performance below.
