Posted on 10/05/2004 2:19:08 PM PDT by Coleus
Springsteen bringing tour to N.J.
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
The Vote for Change tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will roll through New Jersey after all. The pro-Democratic traveling concert has scheduled a finale for Oct. 13. at Continental Arena.
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show will go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The concert will also feature performances by Jackson Browne, John Fogarty, and Patti Scialfa.
The stated aim of the 12-state tour, which launched on Friday, is to help oust President Bush from office on Election Day. Proceeds go to America Coming Together, an organization raising money for Democratic candidates.
Other coalition artists participating in the tour include Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Bonnie Raitt, Bright Eyes, Dave Matthews Band, Death Cab for Cutie, Dixie Chicks, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Jurrassic 5, Keb' Mo', Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Pearl Jam, R.E.M. and My Morning Jacket.
Friday night's tour kickoff included Springsteen, R.E.M, Fogarty and Bright Eyes performing at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center while concerts were going on simultaneously in five other Pennsylvania cities featuring various combinations of the coalition's performers. Concert organizers have said that about 90 percent of all shows have sold out.
Based on the tour so far, audiences should expect a dash of Democratic pep rally to go with their rock-and-roll. Artists punctuated their performances with political comments along the way. "I hope everybody saw the debate [Thursday night]," Springsteen said to the opening night audience. "We're on a roll now."
Meanwhile, Taylor told a crowd in another part of Pennsylvania, "I think our guy did pretty good last night."
Given the fact that the tour itinerary was geared at targeting "11 swing states," it raised the question whether New Jersey was added for old-time sake or because of recent public opinion polls.
Although several polls in recent weeks showed the two candidates in a virtual deadlock, a poll conducted by The Record on Friday showed Kerry with an eight-point lead over President Bush in New Jersey. Of the 502 likely voters polled, 50 percent said they were planning to vote for the Democratic senator from Massachusetts, and 42 percent said they would vote to reelect the Republican incumbent. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Representatives for Springsteen and the Vote for Change Tour did not respond to inquiries about New Jersey's eleventh-hour addition to the schedule. In a statement, Springsteen manager Jon Landau said, "The Vote for Change experience has been so wonderful that we couldn't let it end without taking it to New Jersey. The Meadowlands is going to be shaking."
I wish Ted Nugent would get a group together to tour on behalf of President Bush.....he would put a stranglehold on these Dems.....
Bruce is getting nervous 'cause the Garden State is in flux!
He might be writing a song soon about how some Republican Jersey girls broke his heart!
It sure looks like it!!! It could be a battleground state.
A recent MTV poll indicated that three out of four young people, who usually avoid elections, are registered to vote and eight out of 10 of them plan to vote, with 46 percent supporting Kerry to Bush's 40 percent support, according to AP.
Not to mention the Republicans will probably be more sober on election day
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/features-1/109664762784340.xml
Martie (DIXIE CHICKS), 8 March 2003:
“We don’t like to impose our faith on people. I know a lot of country acts do – it drives us crazy when they get up and preach. I think political views and religious views are not to be shoved down people’s throats just because you have a microphone in your hand.”
I'm from NJ....who's Bruce Springsteen?
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