Republican and Democratic Conventions drawing big names

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Like the Democratic National Convention, the Republican Convention in St. Paul is drawing some big names from the music industry. The only difference is that some of them traveling to the Twin Cities are going to protest the Republicans.

On September 1st, Opening Day of the Republican Convention, Tom Morello and Steve Earle will play at an SEIU Labor Day Festival just across the river from the Xcel Energy Center where George Bush will be speaking.

A famous half-Kenyan Harvard graduate from Illinois in his 40s will be in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention — but it’s not Sen. Barack Obama.

Tom Morello, the activist guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, and another outspoken rocker, Steve Earle, will perform a Labor Day concert on St. Paul’s Harriet Island during the Republican National Convention.

The pair — along with Earle’s country-singer wife, Allison Moorer — committed to appear at the Service Employees International Union’s Labor Day Festival, a three-day event across the river from Xcel Energy Center, where the GOP convention will be based. - Strib

Then on September 3rd, Tom Morello's band Rage Against the Machine will play at the Target Center

Political rap-rock giants Rage Against the Machine will give a rare performance at Target Center in Minneapolis on Sept. 3, which not so coincidentally is the same week as the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. for $60. - Strib

To be fair... the Republicans will be entertained by the likes of Sammy Hagar and LeAnn Rimes.
Toby Keith will be playing at the Fairgrounds but he recently announced he's against the Iraq war and is a life-long Democrat (although apparently he's still a dick). There isn't much else for the Republicans to see music-wise other than some toe-tapping on the bathroom floor.

The Democrats on the other hand will be able to choose from Boz Scaggs, Sheryl Crow, Arturo Sandoval, Sugarland, Earth Wind and Fire, Wyclef Jean, Willie Nelson, Black Eyed Peas, A Tribe Called Quest, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Melissa Etheridge, Dierks Bentley, Al Green and the Allman Brothers to name a few. We may even get to see Bruce Springsteen.

For a full listing of events during the convention see our DemConWatch Convention Calendar