Vote for Change? 2004

Vote for Change? 2004 is a 2008 documentary film produced and directed by Rick Charnoski and Coan Nichols. It follows the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam on the 2004 Vote for Change tour.

Plot

The film follows Pearl Jam on the 2004 Vote for Change tour, a politically motivated American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004. The live performance footage of Pearl Jam is intercut with interviews with the members of the band, its fans, and people on the street about voting and politics. The film's timespan runs from just prior to the start of the tour to Election Day 2004.

Production

In April 2004, independent filmmakers Rick Charnoski and Coan Nichols met Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament. Ament had been a fan of the filmmakers' skateboarding films (Fruit of the Vine, Northwest, Tent City, etc.). He asked them if they would be interested in working with Pearl Jam, and mentioned that the band would be going out on the Vote for Change tour prior to the 2004 presidential election.

Vote for Change

The Vote for Change tour was a politically motivated American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004. The tour was presented by MoveOn.org to benefit America Coming Together. The tour was held in swing states and was designed to encourage people to register and vote. Though the tour and the organization were officially non-partisan, many of the performers urged people to vote against then President George W. Bush and for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election campaign. Bush would defeat Kerry in November 2004.

Itinerary

Every region had a specific night during which the concerts would be held in that region. When concerts were held in the same city, they were at different venues.

Results

The tour was generally successful in attracting audiences, generating media attention and raising approximately $10 million for America Coming Together.

In terms of the tour's effect on the election, none of the states that featured shows on the tour went differently from predicted in pre-election polls. Four of the eight ended up voting in favor of Kerry (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) while the other four went to Bush (Missouri, Iowa, Florida, and Ohio). The states that had the heaviest tour presence (five or six shows) also split evenly. The result in Ohio was the most critical, as it decided the election in Bush's favor (despite six shows there).