snuffbox Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 New York (AP) - In an unprecedented series of concerts in nine swing states, more than 20 musical acts - including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and the Dixie Chicks, will perform fund-raising concerts one month before the November 2 election in an effort to unseat President Bush. The concert series is being titled "Vote For Change"<./a> The shows, which will begin October 1 in Pennsylvania, will take an unusual approach: as many as six concerts on a single day in cities across the states expected to decide the November presidential race. Other stops on the tour are North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin and the key state in 2000, Florida. "We're trying to put forward a group of progressive ideals and change the administration in the White House," Springsteen told The Associated Press in the most overtly political statements of his 30-year career. "That's the success or failure, very clear cut and very simple." The artists of different generations and genres will tour under the name "Vote For Change," with shows Oct. 1-8. But the money generated will go to America Coming Together, which promises on its Web site to "derail the right-wing Republican agenda by defeating George W. Bush." The anticipated millions of dollars will be spent in the swing states before the presidential election, said ACT president Ellen Malcolm. The shows will be presented by MoveOn Pac, the electoral arm of the liberal interest group MoveOn.org, Tickets go on sale for all shows Aug. 21. The shows will pair artists, such as Springsteen and or the Dixie Chicks and James Taylor. There will be 34 shows in 28 cities. Natalie Maines, of the Dixie Chicks, who memorably told a London audience last year that she was ashamed to share her home state of Texas with Bush, echoed a Springsteen comment that this was the most important election of their lives. "A change is in order," Maines said. "There's never been a political climate like this, which is so the polar opposite of me as a person and what I believe in." The idea was hatched by several of the acts' managers, and quickly expanded. "Once we started talking to each other, ideas started percolating and other artists started reaching out to us," said Jon Landau, Springsteen's manager. Other artists participating in the shows include hip-hoppers Jurassic 5, John Mellencamp, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Babyface, Bright Eyes and the Dave Matthews Band. Most have a history of social activism, from Browne's anti-nuclear concerts to Mellencamp's Farm Aid shows. Pearl Jam front man Vedder backed Ralph Nader in 2000. At some point, you can't sit still," said Vedder, a harsh critic of the Iraq war. "You can't spend your life, when people are getting killed, without asking serious questions about why." Springsteen said he didn't fear any backlash over going public with his personal politics. "It's a pretty clear-cut decision in November," said Springsteen, whose songs have provided a backdrop for some Kerry events. "We're chipping in our two cents. That's all we're trying to do." credit - pollstar.com
snuffbox Posted August 5, 2004 Author Report Posted August 5, 2004 heres the tour lineup: Pearl Jam/ Death Cab for Cutie: Oct. 1 Reading, PA - Sovereign Center Oct. 2 Toledo, OH - Sports Arena Oct. 3 Grand Rapids, MI - Delta Plex Oct. 5 St. Louis, MO - Fox Theater Oct. 6 Asheville, NC - Civic Center Oct. 8 Kissimmee, FL - Silver Spur Arena Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band/ R.E.M./ John Fogerty/ Bright Eyes: 10/1 - Philadelphia, PA 10/2 - Cleveland, OH 10/3 - Ann Arbor, MI 10/5 - St. Paul, MN 10/8 - Orlando, FL Dave Matthews Band/ Jurassic 5/ My Morning Jacket: 10/1 - State College, PA 10/2 - Dayton, OH 10/3 - Detroit, MI 10/5 - Madison, WI 10/6 - Ames, IA 10/8 - Gainesville, FL Jackson Browne/ Bonnie Raitt/ Keb' Mo': 10/1 - Williamsport, PA 10/2 - TBA 10/3 - Grand Rapids, MI 10/5 - Kansas City, MO 10/6 - Des Moines, IA 10/8 - Jacksonville, FL Dixie Chicks/ James Taylor: 10/1 - Pittsburgh, PA 10/2 - Cleveland, OH 10/3 - Detroit, MI 10/5 - Iowa City, IA 10/6 - St. Louis, MO 10/8 - Tampa Bay, FL John Mellencamp/ Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds: 10/1 - Wilkes-Barre, PA 10/2 - Cincinnati, OH 10/3 - Kalamazoo, MI 10/5 - Milwaukee, WI 10/8 - Miami, FL
King Kamala Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 The John Mellancamp/Babyface tour sounds just like the tour promoter had two leftover acts and decided to put them together. Most of those tours sound fairly decent. Too bad none of them come close to New England. Damn Democrats getting three-fourths of the vote! I wanna see Springsteen dammit!
Spaceman Spiff Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 Pearl Jam/ Death Cab for Cutie: Oct. 1 Reading, PA - Sovereign Center Awesome. Hopefully I'll be able to get tickets.
godthedog Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 dammit. i was hoping this thread would be about how gavin rossdale doesn't make real music.
Kinetic Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 The Pearl Jam/Death Cab For Cutie3 ticket is coming through Asheville, as well. I consider any form of Bush-bashing here to be a major form of preaching to the choir, although if I gave a shit about any of the bands on any of these tickets, I'd probably drop a few dollars to see them.l I can't imagine this affecting anyone's vote in November, though; especially a town with as liberal a downtown scene as Asheville.
Giuseppe Zangara Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 If they want Bush to lose, they should probably book better bands.
1234-5678 Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 I may attend the Pearl Jam leg of the tour because I have never seen them live. Who the hell is Death Cab For Cutie though?
Giuseppe Zangara Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 A quartet of sensitive young men. I think they have one really good album, but no one likes them really except scenester girls ages 19-22.
1234-5678 Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 I'll just tailgate during those losers then............or else I could try to act sensitive as well and try to parlay that into a hummer.
Giuseppe Zangara Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 I'm pretty sure you and I do not see eye-to-eye on music, but, having seen Death Cab live, I assure you they're plenty horrible.
godthedog Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 i like their cover of "all is full of love."
Giuseppe Zangara Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 Yeah, that's a good one. The only good album they have is We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes; they have some quality songs scattered throughout their catalogue, the Bjork cover included. It's mostly pussy shit, though.
Henry Spencer Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band/ R.E.M./ John Fogerty/ Bright Eyes: This one is the only one I'd pay money to see. Bruce Springsteen, despire having some really lame songs, also has an extremely high number of tremendous ones. REM and John Fogerty are just fine in my book as well, although Bright Eyes are a bit too melodramatic for my tastes.
Spaceman Spiff Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 I may attend the Pearl Jam leg of the tour because I have never seen them live. Who the hell is Death Cab For Cutie though? Usually, PJ's benefit stuff is acoustic, or mostly acoustic. Not sure if this qualifies as a "benefit show(s)", but just wanted to give you a head's up in case that's not your thing.
Youth N Asia Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 I'd like to see Bruce, REM, and Bright Eyes...but Ann Arbor is a little further then I'd like to go
Guest GreatOne Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 If they want Bush to lose, they should probably book better bands. Hey isn't Dave Mustaine supposedly a Democrat? Anyone remember his campaigning for Clinton on MTV back in 92? That'd go with TSHF too......
Jorge Gorgeous Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 dammit. i was hoping this thread would be about how gavin rossdale doesn't make real music. I lolled.
Vyce Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 Nothing quite makes music suck more than when it goes political.
Guest mesepher Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 Nothing quite makes music suck more than when it goes political. so that basically rules out half of all pop(ular) songs ever created I'm very intrigued by a Pearl Jam acoustic show... makes me want to travel to see them now! Especially since I have a few of them on tape.
LaParkaYourCar Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 Isn't NOFX doing an Anti-Bush Concert Tour as well? I may like some of these bands, but having to sit through Bush bashing and political ramblings just to get to the music would be torture.
NoCalMike Posted August 6, 2004 Report Posted August 6, 2004 Not even my disdain for Bush could get me out to one of these concerts... The only question now is will Hannity gather a bunch of country singers to counter this and name the concert, "The Patriots who Love America Tour"
snuffbox Posted August 6, 2004 Author Report Posted August 6, 2004 Nothing quite makes music suck more than when it goes political. Ok Captain Ashcroft. That Neil Young...what an asspuppet...
spiny norman Posted August 6, 2004 Report Posted August 6, 2004 Neil Young is terrible, but he has nothing on the abhorrence of Bob Dylan, or John Lennon for that matter. Disgusting artists. Pearl Jam, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and REM are worth seeing. The rest I couldn't give a toss about. It's not worth going to America for. I pass up on this.
snuffbox Posted August 6, 2004 Author Report Posted August 6, 2004 Neil Young is terrible, but he has nothing on the abhorrence of Bob Dylan, or John Lennon for that matter. Disgusting artists. Wow, you dont get much more wrong than that.
Henry Spencer Posted August 6, 2004 Report Posted August 6, 2004 I'm pretty sure he's kidding. At least I hope so.
Kinetic Posted August 6, 2004 Report Posted August 6, 2004 I may like some of these bands, but having to sit through Bush bashing and political ramblings just to get to the music would be torture. The absolute worst example of this is a lot of the hardcore punk bands I've seen in town. The typical pre-song political diatribe goes something like this: "This is a song about how, like, a lot of people feel really disaffected by the current administration and how all the grassroots groups and stuff really need to come together this year to get Bush out of office and really affect larger change in our political system. 1, 2, 3...WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
Guest GreatOne Posted August 6, 2004 Report Posted August 6, 2004 Nothing quite makes music suck more than when it goes political. I go the Kerry King route on it, 'I hate when bands try to preach politics to me. I don't do that to you, so leave me alone'. I'll take Tom Araya's 'political statement'/intro to War Ensemble (Now it's time for the State Of The Union Address/WARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRENSEMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!!!!!) and leave it at that. Yes Ozzy we know that you were pissed at the Vietnam War and did War Pigs about it, and it's been played like every day since the Iraq war began. That said could you please foray into some buried/kickass Sabbath songs like Symptom Of The Universe or Hole In The Sky rather than subject us to Bush/Hitler images to the 'Politicians hide themselves away' part? Yeah I know that Sharon technically owns him but still............
LaParkaYourCar Posted August 7, 2004 Report Posted August 7, 2004 Neil Young is terrible, but he has nothing on the abhorrence of Bob Dylan, or John Lennon for that matter. Disgusting artists. Wow, you dont get much more wrong than that. Oh come on that statement was just dripping with sarcasm.
JangoFett4Hire Posted August 8, 2004 Report Posted August 8, 2004 Nothing quite makes music suck more than when it goes political. Yeah Bob Dylan had a joke of a career. So did Public Enemy. And Jello Biafra. and Woody Guthrie.
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