On Saturday, December 26th, 50+ artists and hundreds of thousands of viewers around the world came together for Georgia Comes Alive, a virtual music festival aimed at promoting voter participation in Georgia’s critical Senate runoff elections on January 5th, 2021.

One of the many chart-topping acts to participate in Georgia Comes Alive was Nathaniel Rateliff, who delivered a solo acoustic set of songs from his critically-acclaimed debut solo album, 2020’s And It’s Still Alright, as well as a throwback to his catalog with the Night Sweats. Beginning with the title track to his solo endeavor, Rateliff quickly established the calming presence found throughout the record. From his cozy studio surrounded by a wall of amplifiers—somewhat ironic given his acoustic performance—Rateliff serenaded audiences with a snapshot of his new, folk-driven direction.

Next in the singer-songwriter’s three-song set came “All or Nothing”, also found on And It’s Still Alright. Given the stakes of the Georgia Senate runoff election, Rateliff’s repeated refrain of “Don’t say it’s all or nothing, baby” is all the more prescient. As millions prepare to go to the polls today across the Peach State, this election cycle has already seen a record voter turnout and, regardless of the outcome, proves an important milestone in the history of the modern democratic process.

Related: Peter Yarrow Revives Protest Folk Spirit, Spotlights Parkland Shooting Survivors At Georgia Comes Alive [Watch]

Finally, Rateliff dug into his last album with the Night Sweats—2018’s Tearing at the Seams—and pulled out “Hey Mama”. Despite Rateliff’s solo presence, the song still carried some of that booming, big-band sound that is indicative of his time with the Night Sweats. More relevant lyrics abounded in “Hey Mama” as Rateliff sang, “I never beat you boy/Better start acting like/This here’s a race,” as the race is on in the state of Georgia.

Revisit Nathaniel Rateliff’s acoustic set from Georgia Comes Alive in the video below. If you enjoyed the show and have the means, consider donating to Georgia grassroots voter organizations via GeorgiaComesAlive.com. Subscribe to the Live For Live Music YouTube channel for more Georgia Comes Alive videos. For Georgia voter info, head here.

Nathaniel Rateliff – Full Set – Georgia Comes Alive

Nathaniel Rateliff joined 50+ other performers and speakers as part of Georgia Comes Alive, presented by Live For Live Music in partnership with voter registration nonprofit HeadCount. The marathon streaming event, powered by Nugs.TV and Plus 1, generated more than $160,000 in funds for organizations like CivicGeorgia and Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda that are putting in work on the ground to get Georgians out to the polls. For more information, head here. For more information on Georgia Comes Alive, or to donate to CivicGeorgia and Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, visit GeorgiaComesAlive.com.