Artists to Rock Swing States

Twenty acts including Bruce Springsteen, the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, the Dixie Chicks and R.E.M. will take part in the Vote for Change tour, which kicks off October 1st with different artists playing cities located in key electoral states for the November presidential election.

Artists in six different lineups will play select shows in a series of dates that will ultimately put them in front of audiences in nine of the "battleground states" -- Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, North Carolina Minnesota and Wisconsin -- where undecided voters could tip the election for Democratic nominee John Kerry or President George W. Bush.

Among the touring combos are Bruce Springsteen, who will be backed by the E Street Band and sharing a stage with R.E.M. and Bright Eyes. The Dave Matthews Band will headline an even bigger bill, with Ben Harper, the Jurassic 5 and My Morning Jacket in tow. Pearl Jam will be traveling with fellow Pacific Northwesterners Death Cab for Cutie. Other touring combos include the Dixie Chicks with James Taylor; Bonnie Raitt with Jackson Browne, India.Arie, Keb' Mo', Tony Bennett and Sheryl Crow; and John Mellencamp with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.

The shows will be presented by the political action committee MoveOn, and MoveOn members will get the first crack at pre-sale tickets. People can register for membership at moveonpac.org.

Pearl Jam tour dates:

10/1: Reading, PA
10/2: Toledo, OH
10/3: Grand Rapids, MI
10/5: St. Louis, MO
10/6: Asheville, NC
10/7: Kissimmee, FL

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band/R.E.M. tour dates:

10/1: Philadelphia, PA
10/2: Cleveland, OH
10/3: Ann Arbor, MI
10/5: St. Paul, MN
10/8: Orlando, FL

Dave Matthews Band/Jurassic 5 tour dates:

10/1: State College, PA
10/2: Dayton, OH
10/3: Detroit, MI
10/5: Madison, WI
10/6: Ames, IA
10/8: Gainesville, FL

Jackson Browne/Bonnie Raitt tour dates:

10/1: Williamsport, PA
10/2: TBA
10/3: Grand Rapids, MI
10/5: Kansas City, MO
10/6: Des Moines, IA
10/8: Jacksonville, FL

Dixie Chicks/James Taylor tour dates:

10/1: Pittsburgh, PA
10/2: Cleveland, OH
10/3: Detroit, MI
10/5: Iowa City, IA
10/6: St. Louis, MO
10/8: Tampa Bay, FL

John Mellencamp/Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds tour dates:

10/1: Wilkes-Barre, PA
10/2: Cincinnati, OH
10/3: Flint, MI
10/5: Milwaukee, WI
10/8: Miami, FL