Democrats are leaning on celebrity star power. Will it matter?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris has Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Donald Trump has Kid Rock, Waka Flocka Flame and Hulk Hogan.

As the 2024 campaign whirls into its final week, Democrats are noticeably leaning on their star power advantage, calling on a diverse range of celebrities to endorse Harris, invigorate audiences and, they hope, spur people to the ballot box.

Democrats have long enjoyed a celebrity advantage and used it to close out presidential campaigns when attention and energy are critical. That upper hand has grown during Trump’s rise, a period that saw scores of celebrities, even apolitical stars, break their silence and speak out against the Republican leader. The advantage often means raucous, fiery events in the closing days of a race, but history — namely Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign — highlights how the energy at those events can sometimes paper over broader issues with a candidate.

Weeks before the election on Oct. 20, Harris got an assist from music legend Stevie Wonder in Jonesboro, Georgia, who rallied churchgoers with a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” Days later in Atlanta, Harris and former President Barack Obama headlined a rally that featured a performance by Springsteen and speeches from famed filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Samuel L. Jackson. The campaign followed that up a day later with a rally in Texas featuring a performance by Willie Nelson and a speech from Beyonce.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, has also benefited from the celebrity push. Singer-songwriter James Taylor performed at events with the governor in North Carolina earlier in the month. And Walz, along with Harris, spoke at an event in Michigan on Monday that included a five-song set from singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.

“I come for Harris," said Ashley Oberheide, a neighborhood resident who attended the outdoor Harris rally held in Ann Arbor’s Burns Park. "I love that musical acts are getting behind her, but I am always here for Harris." She called Rogers an “added bonus.”

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

“I’m here to support Kamala and Walz as well but Maggie Rogers, I have loved her music since I was in middle school. She’s had a huge impact on me," said Hudson, who added that she thinks artists like Rogers are more relatable to young voters and can impact how they vote.

Ann Arbor resident Rachel Lieberman, 29, shared that the rally in her hometown was her third Harris event and that Rogers was a “cherry on top” she believes will help drive out the youth vote.

“I think it’s all part of getting the younger generations mobilized to vote,” Lieberman said.

Harris and Democrats aren’t just leaning on performances at events, either. After Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian who spoke at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, called Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean,” the Democrat’s campaign received public support from rapper Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and artist Ricky Martin, three of the best known Puerto Rican celebrities. The three have over 300 million followers combined on different social media platforms.

Many of the events are part of Harris’ “When We Vote We Win” concert series that aims to spur supporters to vote early in key battlegrounds. And she is expected to have more high-profile endorsers in the coming days.

When she campaigns in Wisconsin on Wednesday, her rally in Madison will feature performances from Gracie Abrams, Mumford & Sons, Remi Wolf and The National’s Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner. On Thursday, her rally in Arizona will have Los Tigres del Norte, a famed norteño band originally from Sinaloa, Mexico. And finally, on Friday, Harris will headline a rally in Las Vegas featuring Maná, a Mexican pop rock band originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, and a speech from Lopez.

The 2020 campaign was a celebrity outlier. Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, large campaign events were uncommon, especially on the Democratic side. Celebrities appeared in social media videos for then-former Vice President Joe Biden, who went on to defeat Trump.

Trump does enjoy the support of celebrities with a deep appeal to his core base of voters, like singer Lee Greenwood, television personality Dr. Phil McGraw and former football stars like Brett Favre, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Country singer Jason Aldean recently spoke at a Trump rally in Georgia and Nick Bosa, a star defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, recently jumped into a teammate's post-game interview to show a MAGA hat.

But the Republican candidate largely doesn't have an answer for Harris’ celebrity-infused events. Trump, whose career has turned him into a celebrity, often provides the star power at his events. And when a celebrity like Hinchcliffe makes headlines at a Trump event, it can cause problems for the Republican campaign.

The focus on celebrity events is typified by raucous events in arenas and often leaves Democrats upbeat and hopeful about their chances. But the strategy can also paint over issues: When crowds are juiced by celebrities and musical performances, problems with a candidate’s message or hold on an important base of voters can be obscured, a trend that was highlighted by former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 run.

The final week of Clinton’s campaign eight years ago was a veritable red carpet of musical icons and celebrities. Her final rally as a candidate, a feverish event in North Carolina, was headlined by Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga. Her final event with former President Barack Obama culminated in a performance by Springsteen on Independence Mall in Philadelphia. She capped her campaign in Ohio with a performance from Jay Z and Beyonce in Cleveland. And just days earlier she filled Bayfront Park Amphitheater in downtown Miami, Florida with an eye-popping performance by Lopez.

“We just heard Jennifer perform ‘Let’s Get Loud.’ Well, I say, ‘Let’s Get Loud’ at the voting booth. You can vote early. Don’t wait another day to vote, ” Clinton exclaimed.

The Clinton campaign left each respective battleground state invigorated that the energy they felt at the event could carry them to victory.

Days later, Clinton lost North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, and then-businessman Trump was elected president.

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

FILE - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, center, appears on stage with artists Jay Z, right, and Beyonce during a free concert at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Nov. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Tony Hinchcliffe arrives to speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens to Lee Greenwood sing at a faith event at the Concord Convention Center, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - Bruce Springsteen performs during a Hillary Clinton campaign event at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Nov. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

Dr. Phil speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FILE - Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga perform during a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Raleigh, N.C., Nov. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens to former Pittsburgh Steelers Antonio Brown, left, and, Le'Veon Bell, at a campaign rally, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Musician Willie Nelson performing ahead of event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in Houston, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Jason Aldean speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a Turning Point Action campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris listens as Stevie Wonder performs "Redemption Song" during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Hulk Hogan waves an American flag at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Maggie Rogers performs at a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in Burns Park Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

FILE - Kid Rock performs during the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Musical artist Beyonce, right, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, embrace on stage during a campaign rally Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

NEW YORK (AP) — Fifteen years after little Anthony Volpe watched the Yankees parade with the World Series trophy, he saved their season and kept alive hopes for an improbable title.

New York had moved closer to getting swept in the World Series when Freddie Freeman hit another first-inning home run.

Volpe, a New York native whose family idolizes the pinstripes going back generations, turned on a knee-high slider and perhaps reshaped the Series, too. His third-inning grand slam sparked the Yankees to an 11-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night that forced a Game 5.

“The place was shaking. I felt the ground literally shaking,” Yankees catcher Austin Wells said.

Wells and Gleyber Torres added homers for the Yankees, who broke open the game with a five-run eighth.

New York, which had scored just seven runs in the first three games, had some of its swagger back. Wells spoke after the game wearing a “Fully Operational Death Star” Yankees T-shirt, referring to general manager Brian Cashman's 2018 quip.

Fans in the sellout crowd of 49,354 chanted Volpe's name during the ninth inning.

“It’s like you finally got to see the top blow off Yankee Stadium in a World Series game,” Aaron Boone said after his first World Series win as New York's manager. “When Anthony hits that ball, it was like fun to see Yankee Stadium erupt.”

Wells said the dire situation after Monday's loss had relieved the pressure.

“Why not go out tomorrow and have fun?” he described as the mood.

Freeman homered for his sixth straight Series game when he deposited a slider from rookie Luis Gil into the right-field short porch following Mookie Betts’ one-out double. He became the first player to homer in the first four games of a World Series and his streak of long balls in six straight games is one more than Houston’s George Springer 2017 and ’19.

“I'll look back on it after hopefully we win and get this thing done tomorrow,” Freeman said. “Pretty cool. Obviously, hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow.”

Game 5 is Wednesday night, with the Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and the Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty meeting in a rematch of Game 1.

Seeking to become the first team to overcome a 3-0 Series deficit, New York surged ahead 5-2 on Alex Verdugo’s RBI grounder in the second and Volpe’s drive against Daniel Hudson.

“All it takes is just one swing,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said.

Volpe sent Hudson's first pitch into the left-field seats.

“I pretty much blacked out as soon as I saw it go over the fence," Volpe said.

A Gold Glove shortstop in his second big league season, the 23-year-old Volpe also doubled and became the first player in Series history with a grand slam and a pair of stolen bases in one game. He was 8 when the Yankees last won the Series.

Volpe scored New York’s first run when he walked after falling behind 0-2 in the second inning. He made a baserunning blunder when he headed back to second to tag up and failed to score on Wells' double off the center-field wall — pounding his own leg in anger. Verdugo followed with an RBI grounder.

“They’re going to fight,” Betts said. “If you made it this far, you have a resilient team that’s going to fight the whole time.”

Los Angeles closed within 6-4 in a two-run fifth that included Will Smith's homer off Gil and an RBI grounder by Freeman. Despite a sprained right ankle, Freeman beat a relay to avoid an inning-ending double play on what originally was ruled an out but was reversed in a video review.

Wells hit a second-deck homer in the sixth against Landon Knack, and Verdugo added another run-scoring grounder in the eighth — capping an 11-pitch at-bat — ahead of Torres' three-run homer off Brent Honeywell.

Tim Hill, winning pitcher Clay Holmes, Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver and Tim Mayza strung together five innings of one-hit scoreless relief with seven strikeouts, and the Yankees avoided what would have been their first losing Series sweep since 1976.

“As far as outcomes, to have six guys in your ’pen that are feeling good, rested, I feel good about that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Twenty-one of the previous 24 teams to take 3-0 Series leads went on to sweeps, all but the 1910 Philadelphia Athletics against the Chicago Cubs, the 1937 Yankees against the New York Giants and the 1970 Baltimore Orioles against the Cincinnati Reds. All three of those Series ended in five games.

The 2004 Boston Red Sox, sparked by a stolen base by Roberts, are the only team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in any round, beating the Yankees in the AL Championship Series.

Judge drove in his first run of the Series with an RBI single in the eighth and is 2 for 15 in the four games. Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani also is 2 for 15 after going 1 for 4 with a single, his first hit since partially separating his left shoulder in Game 2.

New York stopped a seven-game Series losing streak against the Dodgers dating to 1981. The Yankees got their first seven RBIs from the bottom three hitters in their batting order, Volpe, Wells and Verdugo, who had entered 4 for 32 with three RBIs in the Series.

Volpe was interviewed after the game by former Yankees captain Derek Jeter, now a Fox broadcaster.

“It’s my dream, but it was all my friends’ dreams, all my cousins’ dreams, probably my sister’s dream, too. But winning the World Series was first and foremost. by far. Nothing else compares. So still got a lot of work to do,” Volpe said.

Former Boston star David Ortiz, also a Fox commentator, gave Volpe a shirt.

“I’ve got it in my locker,” Volpe said. “I can’t wear it. It’s got him and Red Sox stuff on it.”

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Cole allowed one run over six-plus innings in the opener -- Kiké Hernández tripled in the fifth as right fielder Juan Soto took a poor route, then scored on Smith’s sacrifice fly. Flaherty gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings, a two-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe (11) and Gleyber Torres celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 11-4. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo, left, Aaron Judge, center, and Juan Soto celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 11-4. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton (27) and Juan Soto celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 11-4. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo (24), Aaron Judge and Juan Soto celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 11-4. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe reacts after scoring against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning in Game 3 of the baseball World Series, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Austin Wells hits home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman hits a two-run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning in Game 3 of the baseball World Series, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman celebrates his two-run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates after hitting a grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates his grand slam home run with Aaron Judge against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates his grand slam home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe hits a grand slam home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates his grand slam home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)