09:35 pm - Bruce Springsteen - The Vote for Change 08 Tour - Oestrike Stadium, Eastern Michigan University Program:
Dick Siegal - 4 song set Kitty Donahoe - 3 song set Susan Martin - president, Eastern Michigan University EMU Gospel Choir - National Anthem The pledge of allegiance Debbie Dingell Congressman John Dingell Diane Hathaway - candidate for Michigan Supreme Court Local Obama campaign leaders
Bruce Springsteen - solo acoustic performance "The Promised Land" "The Ghost of Tom Joad" "Thunder Road" "Devils and Dust" "Used Cars" "No Surrender" speech - Transcript here "The Rising" "This Land Is Your Land"
Alas...no Obama.
So what does one do when you hear that the Boss is giving a free concert just 3 miles from your home? You fucking GO.
So, apparently, do 16,000 others.
I got there early enough to get a semi-decent spot in the middle of the field, pretty much in the sound sweet spot, so it sounded REAL good. But I also had to endure a few speeches, most especially Debbie Dingell, who showed just how out of it she is by admonishing the crowd for being negative. They're not booing, you moron...they're yelling "BRUUUUUUUUUUCE".
So it was more of a political rally than rock concert...and there were those (myself included) that expected Obama to be there as well, and I was looking forward to hearing him speak. Ah, well. I got a free Springsteen concert.
"Hello Michigan...Ypsilanti....I can say it but I sure can't spell it."
It was a short set, but effective, well-performed and rather powerful, including a very moving and nuanced performance of "The Ghost of Tom Joad". The inclusion of "Used Cars" from Nebraska was a surprise, until he got to the lyric "a test drive down Michigan Avenue", which naturally got a huge response. "Always sing a song with the name of the state you're in...cheap audience reaction tactic, but it works every time" he said right after singing the line.
He then delivered a speech that convinced me that he should be running for office himself. Ladies and gentlemen, the next senator from New Jersey. A link to a transcript of the speech is above.
He ended the set with a sing along version of "This Land is Your Land" as the sun finally broke from behind the clouds. Can't beat nature's own light show.
A fine little concert, but not so good as a political rally. Sure, the point was to get people registered to vote and promote Obama, but they were kinda preaching to the converted, and a lot of the college students around me seemed very apathetic. It's understandable when Debbie Dingell delivers a really bad speech, and Rep. John Dingell, who despite his long record of service in congress, looked and sounded like a feeble stroke victim.
I think things would have been very different if Obama himself had been there.
On Saturday, Springsteen did a free concert on the Parkway here in Philadelphia and was pretty much the same set (minus Used Cars). It was a really well done political rally to get out the vote. I thought his speech was pretty good too.
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