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Go Watch Pearl Jam; Register To Vote

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By JESSICA DaSILVA

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 12, 2008

Updated: 06/12/2008 12:14 am

TAMPA - Pearl Jam fans at tonight's concert will get more than a chance to rock out to the band that helped make grunge music a national phenomenon in the 1990s. They will be able to register to vote as well.

Pearl Jam, whose members are well-known for their social activism, has partnered with HeadCount, a nonpartisan voter registration campaign that focuses on registering music fans across the country. HeadCount will provide a team of 10 to 12 volunteers to register Pearl Jam fans before the start of the concert.

The campaign has partnered with many other artists, including the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson and John Mayer. HeadCount plans to register 100,000 voters at more than 1,000 concerts in almost 50 cities across the United States this year, said executive director Andy Bernstein.

HeadCount bills itself as the largest voter registration campaign in the United States. Thousands of volunteers sign up on HeadCount .org to register voters at concerts.

"I think of us as the foot soldiers in the fight for democracy," Bernstein said.

HeadCount will establish a presence in Tampa to register voters at other events, he said.

"We're constantly reminding young people that if they want their voice to be heard, they need to go to the polls," Bernstein said.

Amanda Morrison, 32, volunteered at 10 shows in San Francisco. This month, she will be traveling with Pearl Jam to organize HeadCount volunteers in the cities where Pearl Jam plays. The band will pay for her housing, food and travel costs.

Morrison first got involved because the campaign fused her two passions: music and politics. Before each concert, she organizes volunteers and trains them on how to approach concertgoers.

"For me, it's really exciting to come together with music lovers and make the music scene more than just an entertainment venue," Morrison said.

"For me, that's the energy we need to be tapping into," Morrison said. "We need to get that energy to elevate the consciousness of our society."

Reporter Jessica DaSilva can be reached at jdasilva@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7851.

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