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http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle....EOCFEY?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=5904805
NASHVILLE (Billboard) - With military-like precision, some of the most powerful managers and agents in the music business have plotted a groundbreaking exercise in political activism: the pioneering Vote for Change tour.
The eight-day tour begins Oct. 1 in Pennsylvania. It will number up to 40 shows, with several concerts in each of nine key "swing states" taking place at separate venues on the same night.
The acts involved -- Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M., Dixie Chicks, Pearl Jam and others -- are united in the common goal of voting President Bush out of office in November.
"These artist citizens all feel the need to speak out," Jon Landau, longtime manager of Springsteen, told Billboard. "They will do that respectfully and intelligently, then let the chips fall where they may."
The tour is promoted by and benefits America Coming Together, an organization dedicated to mobilizing voters to elect progressive candidates. It is being presented in association with liberal political organization MoveOn PAC.
The still-evolving lineup also includes John Mellencamp, Babyface, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Jurassic 5 and John Fogerty. All artists are donating their services, as are many of the behind-the-scenes players.
The list of managers behind the project is nearly as impressive as the artists. Among them are Landau, Bertis Downs (R.E.M.), Simon Renshaw (Dixie Chicks), Coran Capshaw (Dave Matthews Band) and Kelly Curtis (Pearl Jam), who Landau called the project's "guiding light."
MAKING IT HAPPEN
According to Landau, it was Curtis who first assembled some 50 managers in Washington, D.C., several months ago for a briefing on the upcoming election and how artists might have an impact.
"It was an opportunity to meet each other and see who was interested," Landau said. "Once everybody decided to come on board, we started looking for the right thing to do. We wanted to do something different this time."
For a group like Dave Matthews Band, with a huge, active following, opportunities to stump for candidates would appear to be numerous. According to Capshaw, this tour had special appeal.
As a group, Dave Matthews Band feel it is a critical time in our country's history," Capshaw said, "and being a part of this tour is a way of encouraging our fans to think about the issues and express themselves by voting."
The five primary managers began a series of conference calls in an attempt to come up with an original concept.
"The Live Aid model -- get Giants Stadium, get the artists, stack 'em up, let them perform 20 minutes each as a fundraiser -- we knew we didn't want that," Landau said.
"We wanted to be more creative. That's when we started zeroing in on the swing states and started informally calling this the 'swing states tour."'
Artists are divided into six packages, with more names likely to be added. The plan is to hit hard each of the pivotal states that are still considered up for grabs in the election -- Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida.
For example, when the tour begins, six big shows are planned, including Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, R.E.M., John Fogerty and Bright Eyes in Philadelphia.
The same night, Pearl Jam and Death Cab for Cutie play Reading; Dave Matthews Band, Jurassic 5 and My Morning Jacket are in State College, home of Penn State University; Dixie Chicks and James Taylor hit the stage in Pittsburgh; Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Keb' Mo' play Williamsport; and John Mellencamp and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds appear in Wilkes-Barre.
"We take a state and saturate it, each taking on a separate market on the same night," Landau said.
NAILING DOWN THE ROUTES
Putting together so many shows with so many artists in such a tight time frame would seem a logistical nightmare.
Some acts, including Springsteen and the Chicks, aren't touring this year, while others, such as Dave Matthews Band and R.E.M., are mounting major treks.
"We put together a grid with the routings, synched our schedules and came up with Oct. 1-8," Landau said. "A number of people had to seriously modify well-developed plans to do this."
Tickets for the tour are expected to go on sale Aug. 21 for most shows. A price has yet to be set. Buildings are being booked, but shows will generally take place in the top venues in each market, like Wachovia Center in Philadelphia and Bryce Jordan Center in State College.
"Once we start doing the shows, the idea is to try and do them as close to the way we normally do them as possible," Landau said.
"Bruce won't be doing three hours because he's sharing the stage, but believe me, this will be Bruce at his best. He is totally psyched."
By speaking out, the artists run a risk of alienating a good portion of their fans, a possibility not lost on these managers. But, according to Landau, that risk was not a factor in going forward with the tour.
"You know how much time was spent on that subject in our meetings? Zero," Landau said.
"How about the Dixie Chicks and the whack they took (for criticizing Bush)? They're not backing down," he added. "None of these artists are putting their career above their own sense of morality and obligation."
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle....EOCFEY?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=5904805
NASHVILLE (Billboard) - With military-like precision, some of the most powerful managers and agents in the music business have plotted a groundbreaking exercise in political activism: the pioneering Vote for Change tour.
The eight-day tour begins Oct. 1 in Pennsylvania. It will number up to 40 shows, with several concerts in each of nine key "swing states" taking place at separate venues on the same night.
The acts involved -- Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M., Dixie Chicks, Pearl Jam and others -- are united in the common goal of voting President Bush out of office in November.
"These artist citizens all feel the need to speak out," Jon Landau, longtime manager of Springsteen, told Billboard. "They will do that respectfully and intelligently, then let the chips fall where they may."
The tour is promoted by and benefits America Coming Together, an organization dedicated to mobilizing voters to elect progressive candidates. It is being presented in association with liberal political organization MoveOn PAC.
The still-evolving lineup also includes John Mellencamp, Babyface, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Jurassic 5 and John Fogerty. All artists are donating their services, as are many of the behind-the-scenes players.
The list of managers behind the project is nearly as impressive as the artists. Among them are Landau, Bertis Downs (R.E.M.), Simon Renshaw (Dixie Chicks), Coran Capshaw (Dave Matthews Band) and Kelly Curtis (Pearl Jam), who Landau called the project's "guiding light."
MAKING IT HAPPEN
According to Landau, it was Curtis who first assembled some 50 managers in Washington, D.C., several months ago for a briefing on the upcoming election and how artists might have an impact.
"It was an opportunity to meet each other and see who was interested," Landau said. "Once everybody decided to come on board, we started looking for the right thing to do. We wanted to do something different this time."
For a group like Dave Matthews Band, with a huge, active following, opportunities to stump for candidates would appear to be numerous. According to Capshaw, this tour had special appeal.
As a group, Dave Matthews Band feel it is a critical time in our country's history," Capshaw said, "and being a part of this tour is a way of encouraging our fans to think about the issues and express themselves by voting."
The five primary managers began a series of conference calls in an attempt to come up with an original concept.
"The Live Aid model -- get Giants Stadium, get the artists, stack 'em up, let them perform 20 minutes each as a fundraiser -- we knew we didn't want that," Landau said.
"We wanted to be more creative. That's when we started zeroing in on the swing states and started informally calling this the 'swing states tour."'
Artists are divided into six packages, with more names likely to be added. The plan is to hit hard each of the pivotal states that are still considered up for grabs in the election -- Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida.
For example, when the tour begins, six big shows are planned, including Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, R.E.M., John Fogerty and Bright Eyes in Philadelphia.
The same night, Pearl Jam and Death Cab for Cutie play Reading; Dave Matthews Band, Jurassic 5 and My Morning Jacket are in State College, home of Penn State University; Dixie Chicks and James Taylor hit the stage in Pittsburgh; Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Keb' Mo' play Williamsport; and John Mellencamp and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds appear in Wilkes-Barre.
"We take a state and saturate it, each taking on a separate market on the same night," Landau said.
NAILING DOWN THE ROUTES
Putting together so many shows with so many artists in such a tight time frame would seem a logistical nightmare.
Some acts, including Springsteen and the Chicks, aren't touring this year, while others, such as Dave Matthews Band and R.E.M., are mounting major treks.
"We put together a grid with the routings, synched our schedules and came up with Oct. 1-8," Landau said. "A number of people had to seriously modify well-developed plans to do this."
Tickets for the tour are expected to go on sale Aug. 21 for most shows. A price has yet to be set. Buildings are being booked, but shows will generally take place in the top venues in each market, like Wachovia Center in Philadelphia and Bryce Jordan Center in State College.
"Once we start doing the shows, the idea is to try and do them as close to the way we normally do them as possible," Landau said.
"Bruce won't be doing three hours because he's sharing the stage, but believe me, this will be Bruce at his best. He is totally psyched."
By speaking out, the artists run a risk of alienating a good portion of their fans, a possibility not lost on these managers. But, according to Landau, that risk was not a factor in going forward with the tour.
"You know how much time was spent on that subject in our meetings? Zero," Landau said.
"How about the Dixie Chicks and the whack they took (for criticizing Bush)? They're not backing down," he added. "None of these artists are putting their career above their own sense of morality and obligation."
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