2008 Woodie Awards
Springsteen plays free concert for Obama rally
Ashley Peskoe
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: News
Bruce Springsteen performed a free concert on the Parkway Oct. 4 to promote voter registrations, two days before the Monday deadline, according to Zach Friend, a spokesman for the Obama campaign.
The fully volunteer driven event was organized in about a week after the campaign received a call from Springsteen saying he wanted to perform a free concert to help with voter registration in Pennsylvania, according to Friend.
On Saturday volunteers filled the streets registering everyone to vote. Candace Boyd, a volunteer from Valley Forge, PA, used this concert to reward herself for all the hard work she has done thus far. Although Boyd did not volunteer on Saturday she has been volunteering for Obama since the primaries.
"It's great to see all these people out for Barack Obama," Boyd said.
Boyd also said she would be going out to Phoenixville area on Sunday to volunteer.
The first performer at the rally was Nora Whitaker followed by Amos Lee and then Bruce Springsteen. A few volunteers and field officers spoke in between each musical act.
"Change comes to those who show up," Pat Ahern, 22, a student of Montgomery County Community College, said at the rally.
There was also a surprise visit from Gov. (D-PA) Ed Rendell and Sen. (D-PA) Sean Casey, who took the stage before Springsteen. While on stage, Rendell referred to Gov. (R-AK) Sarah Palin
"Our job was to transition between when we got up here and when Bruce is ready to come up, so we don't know how long that is going to be, but I promise you as long as I'm up here I will not wink at you," Rendell said.
Despite the rumors, Sen. (D-IL) Barack Obama did not show up.
"I think Bruce Springsteen is doing pretty well drawing people on his own," Friend said.
An unofficial estimate from the city put the crowd at 50,000.
"It's nice to see how many people really did come out for this," Stephanie Groeber, a graduate student in the physician assistant program for Drexel's Health and Professional Studies, said. "It's a huge election this year and it's weird, but it's cool to be part of it finally in our lifetime that you know you're going to make a difference by voting."
Once Springsteen took the stage the concert lasted for about 40 minutes.
The fully volunteer driven event was organized in about a week after the campaign received a call from Springsteen saying he wanted to perform a free concert to help with voter registration in Pennsylvania, according to Friend.
On Saturday volunteers filled the streets registering everyone to vote. Candace Boyd, a volunteer from Valley Forge, PA, used this concert to reward herself for all the hard work she has done thus far. Although Boyd did not volunteer on Saturday she has been volunteering for Obama since the primaries.
"It's great to see all these people out for Barack Obama," Boyd said.
Boyd also said she would be going out to Phoenixville area on Sunday to volunteer.
The first performer at the rally was Nora Whitaker followed by Amos Lee and then Bruce Springsteen. A few volunteers and field officers spoke in between each musical act.
"Change comes to those who show up," Pat Ahern, 22, a student of Montgomery County Community College, said at the rally.
There was also a surprise visit from Gov. (D-PA) Ed Rendell and Sen. (D-PA) Sean Casey, who took the stage before Springsteen. While on stage, Rendell referred to Gov. (R-AK) Sarah Palin
"Our job was to transition between when we got up here and when Bruce is ready to come up, so we don't know how long that is going to be, but I promise you as long as I'm up here I will not wink at you," Rendell said.
Despite the rumors, Sen. (D-IL) Barack Obama did not show up.
"I think Bruce Springsteen is doing pretty well drawing people on his own," Friend said.
An unofficial estimate from the city put the crowd at 50,000.
"It's nice to see how many people really did come out for this," Stephanie Groeber, a graduate student in the physician assistant program for Drexel's Health and Professional Studies, said. "It's a huge election this year and it's weird, but it's cool to be part of it finally in our lifetime that you know you're going to make a difference by voting."
Once Springsteen took the stage the concert lasted for about 40 minutes.
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