On Saturday evening, Ohio was certainly swinging.
The Vote For Change tour bulldozed its way into the Gund Arena in Cleveland with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, R.E.M., Bright Eyes and friends championing the democratic ticket with five hours worth of rock and roll.
In an atmosphere as politically charged as it was rock and roll, orange-shirted Move On voter registration volunteers hustled to sign up as many John Kerry supporters as possible.
From the get-go, it was clear that all the acts were wholeheartedly supportive of the cause. Both Springsteen and R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe came out to introduce opening act Bright Eyes with a five-minute appeal to the audience to sign up to vote immediately if they had not already, Monday being the last day to register in Ohio.
Springsteen's mere appearance on stage merited a round of "Bruce" chants reminiscent of Bruce Smith's hey day as Buffalo Bills defensive end. "The Boss" had some choice words for the audience.
"Hey now, none of that," Springsteen said, adding with a smile, "There are three great acts here tonight and let's respect all of them. If I hear any more of that, I'm gonna come out there and slap you silly."
Bright Eyes played material mostly from "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning," one of two yet-to-be-released new albums. The songs were along the lines of primary songwriter Conor Oberst's previous work, but featured more of a nod to the folksy, old country side he has exhibited. His performance was intense and wonderful, capped off by a comment on the current presidential administration.
"A vote for Bush is like s---ing in your own bed," Oberst said.
It was a sentiment echoed throughout the evening.
R.E.M. took the stage next; lights flickered in rapid succession, followed by a spotlight rushing backstage to meet Stipe, dressed in a brilliant white suit with a white undershirt and shoes. The crowd was attentive to Oberst, but as Stipe leapt in the air to cue the beginning of "The One I Love," it flipped its collective lid.
"I hear Ohio is a swing state," Stipe said. "I like swinging a lot. I guess that means I really like Ohio. You guys play a very important role in this election."
R.E.M. played hits like "Imitation of Life," "Cuyahoga" and "Losing My Religion" - which brought even the most ardent Boss lover to their feet - but also showcased material from their new record, "Around the Sun," coming out Tuesday.
"Around The Sun" is the R.E.M.'s best work in years, hearkening back to the era of "Automatic For The People." The crowd's warmest reception to new material was the single "Leaving New York," but "Final Straw," one of the album's more intense moments, held the crowd in awe. Stipe's stage presence, coupled with the song's weighty lyrics, was spellbinding.
"As I raise my head to broadcast my objection/ as your latest triumph draws the final straw/ who died and lifted you up to perfection/ and what silenced me is written into law."
Stipe's writing style on "Around The Sun" is as good as it has ever been, thematically intense without being redundant. Songs like "The Ascent of Man" and "The Worst Joke Ever" help to make the end of the record as strong as the first half - perhaps even stronger. The second track on the album, "Electron Blue," while a good song, is the album's weakest point.
"Around The Sun" is certainly a perfect album to take on a tour such as the Vote For Change. It is somber, but hopeful. There are no romps like "Imitation of Life" or "Stand." The closest to anything fast-paced is Q-Tip's guest rapping on "The Outsiders," which still has a dense air.
Something about seeing R.E.M. makes it impossible to be tense. Stipe's dance moves are hilariously engaging and his smile is almost an affront to his platform. If he follows a joke or story with a message, it almost gets lost in the laughter.
It seemed that Stipe had the crowd under his spell until Springsteen came out to play guitar on "Bad Day (PSA)." The chants returned and the crowd noise swelled when the Boss added his backing vocals. By the time Springsteen took lead vocals for the first time in the second verse of R.E.M.'s "Man on the Moon," the crowd had forgotten anything but their clamoring for him. If R.E.M. hadn't saved "Losing My Religion" for the end, anticipatory violence may have erupted.
The longest changeover of the night was the one before Springsteen's set. New stage risers and a stage-long walkway were added to the back of the stage. Microphones a-plenty were brought to the front of the stage and the lights went out save a single spotlight: the one reserved for the chairman of the board.
Springsteen, wearing black jeans and a red dress shirt unbuttoned halfway, took the stage to riotous applause that only silenced upon his playing of "The Star Spangled Banner" on 12-string acoustic guitar. Two and a half minutes of intricate guitar work later, it was time to rock and roll.
E-Street Band drummer and Conan O'Brien band leader Max Weinberg hit the snare drum for the beginning of "Born in the U.S.A." which sent the crowd into a fist-pumping uproar that only let up once for the rest of the night.
Springsteen set forth a set list of hits saved only for the most important of occasions, dazzling the swing state with "Badlands," "The River," "No Surrender" and "The Rising." He played a rowdy version of "Johnny 99," as well as a personal nod to the state, "Youngstown."
Springsteen had more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Supposedly an off-day for John Fogerty, the former Creedence Clearwater Revival star joined the Boss for a total of five songs, including "Centerfield," in which he played a guitar shaped like a Louisville Slugger.
Even standing next to the Boss, Fogerty commanded the spotlight. After the acoustic "D?(c)j?Ae Vu All Over Again," he almost stole the show by playing both "Fortunate Son" and helping out with Springsteen's "Promised Land."
If any Republican was unswayed by a man who dedicated an entire album, "The Rising," to the heroes and victims of 9/11 playing a show against the President who won't let up on his record during that terrible period, what happened next must've broken their "resolve."
After Stipe joined the band on stage for "Because The Night," Springsteen used a long instrumental break in the main set ending "Mary's Place" to call attention to his pleas for change. Doing an impression of a preacher, shaking and vibrating his voice, Springsteen called a "Republican" on stage. The object of his "saving grace" was a bespectacled man with a grey suit and bowtie.
To the man's "objections," Springsteen laid hands on him, instructed the audience to say "Haliburton" three times, and "saved" the man, who immediately yelled, "That's it. I'm voting Kerry!"
The band left the stage, but it was clearly temporary. Soon they returned with Mike Mills and Peter Buck of R.E.M., bringing the house to fever pitch with "Born To Run." The first encore ended with Fogerty coming back out to join Springsteen on vocals for "Bad Moon Rising."
The second encore had the stage mobbed. Every artist involved in the show came back on stage, with Springsteen, Stipe, Fogerty and Oberst taking turns on vocals for covers of Elvis Costello's "What's So Funny (About Peace, Love and Understanding?)" and Patti Smith's "People Have The Power."
There's just something about over 20,000 people chanting "people have the power" with their first in the air that make a person hopeful and proud to be an American once again.
