Goggles11
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Okay guys, I made a thread earlier on the Get Out and Vote concert that was put on at the Chevrolet Center in Youngstown. Now that my English teacher found out I went, she wants me to write an article about it for the school paper. She told me how important it was to focus on the facts and leave my opinion out of it. So I'm going to share it with you guys for constructive criticism, or compliments if you really want to.
Keep in mind I wasn't aiming for this to be a literary masterpiece or anything like that. I do want it to be well written however and get my the point across. Anyway, here it is.
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On Wednesday, October 29th, a group of musical performers on the “Get Out and Vote 08” tour made a stop at the Chevrolet Center in downtown Youngstown. The purpose of the concert was to both support Barack Obama in his campaign for the presidency and persuade the people in the audience to cast ballots on election day. The ice that the Steelhounds skated on was transformed into the perfect venue for a show like the one that was about to take place. The stage was set up and surrounded with brilliant lighting that created the right mood for a concert of this caliber. The enormous projection screen that hung in the back was like the cherry on top of an ice-cream sundae, perfecting the arena and creating an air of excitement among the crowd.
Norah Jones and the former lead vocalist of the band “Jane’s Addiction”, Perry Farrell, opened up the show with energetic performances that set the bar high for the following acts. Famed singer-songwriter and musician Sheryl Crow was the next to appear on stage and she too was generally appreciated by the people in attendance. Not only did she perform her normal songs but she put her feelings about the upcoming election into her music as well. She sang lyrics that focused on the needed change that she thought Barack Obama would bring if elected, and was very enthusiastic in her opinions on him.
The third act of the night was led by a man who may not be as well know or popular as Sheryl Crow. However, the people who had bought a ticket to the show that night were just as happy to see him perform. Ben Harper has gone on tour with the likes of Jack Johnson and Pearl Jam but for the show no one accompanied him but a few backup guitarists and percussionists. The first song he played was David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” and everyone there appeared to love it. The rest of his set was well received also. As soon as he departed from the stage, an anxious mood settled over everyone there. People talked in hushed whispers, nodding and smiling. While Norah Jones, Perry Farrel, Sheryl Crow, and Ben Harper all put on a great show, most of the people had decided to come that night because of the headliners.
The Beastie Boys are a hip-hop group from New York City. They are incredibly popular and are known for their ability to put on amazing live performances. Immediately after taking the stage, they were greeted with an extremely loud and lengthy reception. They played almost all of their hits and in between songs, reminded everyone there of the importance of this year’s election and told them that they had to get out and vote. They said that was the only way you can make your voice be heard, and the people there seemed to agree, cheering and clapping once more. During their set, actor Ben Stiller appeared multiple times and sang along with them. The band dedicated their encore song “Sabotage” to the 2000 presidential election. Almost everyone in attendance were Democrats and they made the most noise of the night during that song, absolutely rocking the Chevy Center.
The show ended and a thrilled crowd flooded towards the exits and filled the streets of Youngstown. People were still singing and yelling outside, long after the Beastie Boys had said goodnight and left. That, to me, showed how their performance had made a huge impact on the audience. The “Get Out and Vote 08” tour was much more than a few musicians joining together and performing at different cities across the country. It stressed how much voter turnout mattered and encouraged people to become politically active. The fact that I, and most likely others, woke up the next morning with our throats so sore that we couldn’t speak didn’t matter. This show was for a cause and an important one at that. It dialed in on the magnitude of this years election and every single musician who took part was there to teach others one thing: The only you can make a difference is by taking advantage of your right to vote.
Keep in mind I wasn't aiming for this to be a literary masterpiece or anything like that. I do want it to be well written however and get my the point across. Anyway, here it is.
----
On Wednesday, October 29th, a group of musical performers on the “Get Out and Vote 08” tour made a stop at the Chevrolet Center in downtown Youngstown. The purpose of the concert was to both support Barack Obama in his campaign for the presidency and persuade the people in the audience to cast ballots on election day. The ice that the Steelhounds skated on was transformed into the perfect venue for a show like the one that was about to take place. The stage was set up and surrounded with brilliant lighting that created the right mood for a concert of this caliber. The enormous projection screen that hung in the back was like the cherry on top of an ice-cream sundae, perfecting the arena and creating an air of excitement among the crowd.
Norah Jones and the former lead vocalist of the band “Jane’s Addiction”, Perry Farrell, opened up the show with energetic performances that set the bar high for the following acts. Famed singer-songwriter and musician Sheryl Crow was the next to appear on stage and she too was generally appreciated by the people in attendance. Not only did she perform her normal songs but she put her feelings about the upcoming election into her music as well. She sang lyrics that focused on the needed change that she thought Barack Obama would bring if elected, and was very enthusiastic in her opinions on him.
The third act of the night was led by a man who may not be as well know or popular as Sheryl Crow. However, the people who had bought a ticket to the show that night were just as happy to see him perform. Ben Harper has gone on tour with the likes of Jack Johnson and Pearl Jam but for the show no one accompanied him but a few backup guitarists and percussionists. The first song he played was David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” and everyone there appeared to love it. The rest of his set was well received also. As soon as he departed from the stage, an anxious mood settled over everyone there. People talked in hushed whispers, nodding and smiling. While Norah Jones, Perry Farrel, Sheryl Crow, and Ben Harper all put on a great show, most of the people had decided to come that night because of the headliners.
The Beastie Boys are a hip-hop group from New York City. They are incredibly popular and are known for their ability to put on amazing live performances. Immediately after taking the stage, they were greeted with an extremely loud and lengthy reception. They played almost all of their hits and in between songs, reminded everyone there of the importance of this year’s election and told them that they had to get out and vote. They said that was the only way you can make your voice be heard, and the people there seemed to agree, cheering and clapping once more. During their set, actor Ben Stiller appeared multiple times and sang along with them. The band dedicated their encore song “Sabotage” to the 2000 presidential election. Almost everyone in attendance were Democrats and they made the most noise of the night during that song, absolutely rocking the Chevy Center.
The show ended and a thrilled crowd flooded towards the exits and filled the streets of Youngstown. People were still singing and yelling outside, long after the Beastie Boys had said goodnight and left. That, to me, showed how their performance had made a huge impact on the audience. The “Get Out and Vote 08” tour was much more than a few musicians joining together and performing at different cities across the country. It stressed how much voter turnout mattered and encouraged people to become politically active. The fact that I, and most likely others, woke up the next morning with our throats so sore that we couldn’t speak didn’t matter. This show was for a cause and an important one at that. It dialed in on the magnitude of this years election and every single musician who took part was there to teach others one thing: The only you can make a difference is by taking advantage of your right to vote.
). I can dunk and shoot threes and dribble and nail halfcourters with my off hand only and I shoot 90% from the stripe. :runs: