WASHINGTON DC, (Vote for Change/ www.vfcfinale.com) - Bonnie Raitt,
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,
Dave Matthews Band, Dixie Chicks, Jackson Browne,
James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Jurassic 5, Keb' Mo', Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds,
Pearl Jam and
R.E.M. Close Out Historic Tour.
Vote for Change wraps up its 11-state concert tour with a five-hour grand finale in Washington, D.C. today, October 11th when more than 12 of the tours' artists take to the stage to encourage concertgoers and viewing audiences nationwide to vote for a change this November 2nd. "Vote for Change are the wonderful artists you see here tonight who have come together for a single purpose, to be a voice for change," said Bruce Springsteen. "We are all here to be advocates for a government that is honest, rational and truly sensitive to the needs of all of its citizens."
The Vote for Change finale will be seen and heard by millions as it is broadcast live across the U.S. through a special airing of the documentary "National Anthem: Inside the "Vote for Change" Concert Tour on the Sundance Channel, via a live Web cast on RealNetworks and on ACT's site https://www.vfcfinale.com and through XM Satellite Radio, Music Choice, Sirius Satellite Radio and a host of other partners including more than 60 radio stations nationwide.
"We have accomplished what we set out to do," said Dave Matthews. "We made our voice heard, we motivated new and returning voters nationwide and we raised money to fund historic outreach and GOTV efforts. Now all we have to do as a country is vote for change on November 2nd."
As a result of the Vote for Change tour success, and what was accomplished on the road, tour sponsor MoveOn PAC and benefactor America Coming Together (ACT) will continue to expand their outreach and voter mobilization efforts by bringing thousands of new people into the process. The added infrastructure of key funding, new volunteers and a broader grassroots base will all help these organizations continue this momentum in key battleground states through November 2nd.
A review of these successes follows:
* ACT and MoveOn PAC recruited thousands of new volunteers.
* Registered voters across the country.
* Raised millions from nearly 250,000 donors to help ACT reach its budget goal.
* Handed out more than 200,000 "Why Vote for Change?" cards to concertgoers.
* MoveOn PAC secured 300,000 new members.
* Exposed millions to the Vote for Change message through the concert tour, live broadcasts and Web casts and the immense media coverage totaling over 2,000 stories.
"The artists used their voices to create a chorus of change in the battleground states, igniting voters and helping America Coming Together to create the largest voter mobilization effort in history," said Ellen Malcolm, founder of America Coming Together. "Continuing this effort, the money raised on the tour will be used to reach millions of swing and Democratic voters and convince them to vote. Those voters will change the direction of this country by electing progressive candidates to local, state and federal offices and, of course, putting a new President in the White House."
Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn PAC added, "The Vote For Change Tour energized and inspired MoveOn members around the country to work hard - to knock on doors, make phone calls and mobilize voters in key battleground states in order to win on November 2nd."
The Vote for Change tour came out of an informal conversation among a handful of artists on how they could make a difference in this year's elections and beyond. This idea resulted in this first-of-its-kind endeavor where Vote for Change participating artists focused their energies on the states where the elections are expected to be the closest. This unprecedented effort resulted in the artists completing 37 performances in 33 cities in 15 days in 11 battleground states plus the District of Columbia.
The Vote for Change artist coalition includes Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Bonnie Raitt, Bright Eyes, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Dave Matthews Band, Death Cab for Cutie, Dixie Chicks, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Jurassic 5, Keb' Mo', Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, My Morning Jacket, Pearl Jam and R.E.M.
