I've been a big fan of Bruce Springsteen since 1977...the year the amazing "Darkness on the Edge of Town" album came out (the hype of '75...when "Born to Run" came out and Bruce was declared "the future of rock and roll"...hit right at the heart of my skeptical cynicism over the media trying to define what is cool for the rest of us and I shied away.) I haven't looked back (and yes, I came to embrace "Born to Run" and the albums that came before it.)
From then to now, I have been (and will remain) firmly in Bruce's army of loyal fans. That said, I wouldn't go cast my Presidential vote just because he told me to.
I will, of course, cast my vote because I think it's the price we should willingly and happily pay for our democracy...and the price we should willingly and eagerly pay for our right to bitch about the state of things. My one vote may not mean much in the grand scheme of things but it means a whole lot to me and I have cast it in nearly every election I've been eligible to participate in (in Presidential elections my personal record for voting on the winning side is 4-3 since my first vote in '76.)
Bruce Springsteen and a host of other pop stars...including John Fogerty, REM, Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp, The Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, and the Dixie Chicks...are going to "battleground states" (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and, of course, Florida) to do multiple concerts on what's being called the "Vote for Change" tour.
The tour...sponsored by MoveOn.org...is supposed to encourage apathetic voters who might otherwise sit on their hands to get out on Election Day and vote. They don't seem to be FOR Senator Kerry as much as they are AGAINST President Bush but more power to them for putting their time and energy towards what they believe in...more power to them for trying to make a difference.
Will it work? I don't know. Most fans who go to shows will be there because they want to rock not because they're fired up to become a participating part of the political process. But if it gets even just a few more non-voters...of whatever age...to step up to the plate on November 2nd then it's all good (and if Toby Keith, Kid Rock, and Jessica Simpson want to organize a similar pro-Bush tour more power to them as well...it's a free country and the more voices being heard the stronger our democracy becomes and remains.)
******
Recommended listening:
Bruce Springsteen:
Born to Run
Darkness on the Edge of Town
The River
Nebraska
Born in the U.S.A.
Live/1975-1985
Tunnel of Love
Tracks
The Rising
3 comments:
SO I followed the link on your LoEG board signature, found this...
Damn, Mike, you're a hell of a writer. I'm more than a bit jealous.
On topic, I gotta say, I would never let a musician's political interests color my opinion of their music (too much;-), but I do take some pleasure in seeing Rock the Vote being invited to almost every Sleater-Kinney (best damn punk band on earth) show that I've been to and I was first in line for Neil Young's Greendale, including concert, CD, and film versions.
It's good to know that entertainers have personalities. Too often, you get the impression that their public persona is based on offending as few people as possible.
I saw Sleater-Kinney two February's ago in New York, the evening after a huge peace march, and they totally tapped into the emotions of that day. It was probably the best show that I've ever seen, and the cover of "Fortunate Son" that they kicked off the encore with had EVERYONE singing at the top of their voices.
Sometimes, politics and entertainment can be more powerful when they combine forces.
Now that I know this site exists, I might try to pop over here more often. Maybe we can have some good discussions about things besides comics!
Mike Lorah
Thanks, Mike, your comments and experiences are very much appreciated.
Also remember that one vote may not count, but politicians do see demographics. If you want them to target your age group and the interests it has, they have to exist in the politicians eyes. Voting is the only way to do that. If you are not getting a politician re-elected, then you do not exist in their eyes.
P.S. There are no good conversations other than about comics. Other conversations are just filler until the next shipment arrives.
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