Vote for Change


The Vote for Change tour was a political American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004. The tour was presented by MoveOn.org to benefit America Coming Together. The tour was held in swing states and was designed to encourage people to register and vote. Though the tour and the organization were officially non-partisan, many of the performers urged people to vote against then-President George W. Bush and for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election campaign. Bush would defeat Kerry in November 2004.

Itinerary

Every region had a specific night during which the concerts would be held in that region. When concerts were held in the same city, they were at different venues.

Results

The tour was generally successful in attracting audiences, generating media attention and raising approximately $10 million for America Coming Together.
In terms of the tour's effect on the 2004 election, none of the visited states went differently from what had been predicted in pre-election polls. Four of the eight ended up voting in favor of Kerry while the other four went to Bush. The states that had the heaviest tour presence also split evenly. The result in Ohio was the most critical, as it decided the election in Bush's favor.

The shows

The Springsteen and E Street Band performances were compressed to two hours in length due to the multi-act nature of the concerts. Especially at the beginning of his sets, Springsteen accomplished this by stripping down the songs, removing elongated outros and false endings from the likes of "Born in the U.S.A." and "Badlands". In doing so, the style of the Vote for Change shows foreshadowed the next E Street outing, the 2007 Magic Tour, when Springsteen adopted a similar approach.

Tour dates

Performers

PerformerFairbornCleveland ColumbusEast LansingWalkerDetroit Detroit Auburn HillsKalamazooKansas City
Babyface
Ben Harper
Bonnie Raitt
Bright Eyes
Bruce Springsteen
Dave Matthews Band
Death Cab for Cutie
Dixie Chicks
Gob Roberts
Jackson Browne
James Taylor
John Fogerty
John Mellencamp
Jurassic 5
Keb' Mo'
My Morning Jacket
Neil Young
Pearl Jam
R.E.M.

PerformerKissimmeeOrlandoGainesvilleClearwaterMiami BeachWashington, D.C.East Rutherford
Babyface
Ben Harper
Bonnie Raitt
Bruce Springsteen
Dave Matthews Band
Death Cab for Cutie
Dixie Chicks
Eddie Vedder
Gob Roberts
Jackson Browne
James Taylor
John Fogerty
John Mellencamp
Jurassic 5
Keb' Mo'
Neil Young
Patti Scialfa
Pearl Jam
Peter Frampton
R.E.M.
Tracy Chapman