Ben Harper plays free show in Cedar Rapids to support Hillary Clinton

CEDAR RAPIDS — Singer-songwriter Ben Harper played a free show to a packed house at Iowa Brewing Co. on behalf of Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday afternoon.

Many in attendance put the politics aside to hear a few tunes from the folk and blues rocker who hit it big with songs like 'Forever' and 'Burn One Down' in the 1990s and 2000s.

'It was an opportunity to check out Ben Harper,' said Michael Collis, 41, of North Liberty, noting he plans to vote for Clinton but this is the first campaign event he'd been to.

The California-based musician, 47, came to the stage with two acoustic guitars and a back drop of massive stainless steel beer fermenters. Harper played five songs over about 30 minutes, including 'Excuse Me Mister' and 'A House is a Home.' His mother Ellen even joined him on stage for a song.

While Harper mainly stuck to strumming his guitar and belting out the lyrics, he spent a few minutes discussing why he came.

'I am basically a small-business owner that made good on a few songs,' Harper said between tunes. 'If I didn't pay my taxes they'd come board me up and kick me out (of his family's music store). I'm not a billionaire. I have nowhere to hide it. But, I'm proud to pay my taxes.'

Harper was referring to accusations Republican nominee Donald Trump has avoided paying taxes through various rules in the federal tax code.

Harper said if Clinton were a man, she'd have a more favorable reception and called her a 'great political mind of the 21st Century.' He noted he couldn't excuse Clinton's use of a private email server while Secretary of State, but said she's taken her 'hits' and apologized.

In an interview after the performance, Harper said he couldn't 'sit at home' and wanted to be on the right side of history, doing what he could to help. His time on the campaign trail has taken him to places like Pennsylvania and North Carolina, as well as Grinnell in Iowa to promote Clinton.

While some just came for the music, others came for politics, too.

Kelly Macek, 42, of Marion, and her daughter Ava, 10, had attended Clinton's Cedar Rapids campaign event last Friday and wanted to 'keep the momentum going.' Plus, they are Harper fans and Ava didn't mind getting out of school a little early. 'We are excited to see Ben Harper,' Kelly Macek said. 'The message in Ben's music is the message of this campaign. I vote for humanity.' Mike Wing, the brewmaster at Iowa Brewing Co., said politics aside, he was delighted to host a known musician in the newly opened brew pub. Iowa City musician Dave Zollo took the stage afterward.

'It was phenomenal,' Wing said, adding the political message remained positive.