Springsteen, REM, Pearl Jam et al. Kick Butt as Vote for Change Tour Gets Under Way

CBS: "Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe stayed on message from the time they took the stage: Vote John Kerry on Nov. 2. The rockers joined an assortment of performers across the country Friday night in beginning the "Vote for Change" tour, a 10-day series of concerts in battleground states aimed at helping oust President Bush. Springsteen opened with a solo version of "The Star Spangled Banner," then a rousing rendition of his anti-war anthem "Born in the U.S.A." "America is not always right - that's a fairy tale you tell your children - but America is always true, and it's in seeking this truth that we find a deeper patriotism," Springsteen told cheering fans after endorsing Kerry, a Democrat. Springsteen and Stipe, both critics of the war in Iraq, took the stage together to introduce the first band, Bright Eyes, and to remind the crowd to vote. "This is a very important moment for every one of us and for our country," Stipe said.

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