Set List: (both solo acoustic) I Am A Patriot by Steven Van Zandt,
The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan

So my trek from Washington D.C. to NYC started around one o'clock yesterday. The president of Students For Nader got a bus together and a block of tickets, so thirty of us went up from George Washington University and some of the surrounding colleges. We get on the bus prepared for the SIX HOUR bus ride a head of us, little did we know that the last stretch (right outside the tunnel) would take us YEARS to get through!!!!! Our excitement increased as we got closer and closer to the city. The president of Students For Nader gave a little inspirational speech about how we should know that we are not alone in our fight and that when we are at the Garden we should look around and remember that moment when 16 THOUSAND people were all in the same place fighting and believe in the same thing, and we will always know that we are not alone.

After that great speech the whole bus was just bursting with energy, but unfortunately we were suck in the traffic in front of the Lincoln Tunnel. When seven thirty rolled around and we were still waiting to go through the tunnel everyone's excitement turned in to impatient anticipation. No one wanted to miss the amazing words of Michael Moore or Phil Donahue, but reality set in as we pulled up to the Garden and it was getting to be 8:20. We ran out of the bus got our tickets and ran inside. All of the seats were full on every level but the top so there was a mad rush to the escalators. We could hear Phil ending his speech but by the time we got up to our seats (the top most seats in the building) Phil had left the stage. Then there were other speakers and performers there were all amazing and they really got the crowd going. Ed was the last performer to go and I was so excited and moved by the other performers that I could not contain myself when Ed was introduced by Bill Murray.

Ed came out with his acoustic guitar, sat down and started talking about how great the event was and how the media could not ignore us now!!!!!! Then he played I Am a Patriot (which was amazing.... a cover that I have wanted to hear for a while now =)). Then he talked about how he wanted to write a song for Nader; he joked that he only needed one more day.... really =). Then he said that he was going to play a song that was just as appropriate today as it was thirty years ago when it was created. He also added that he had the author's permission to use the song, and he started playing The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan. Almost the whole crowd was singing along; it was amazing. Then Ed shyly left the stage, and I saw groups of people in my section get up to leave. I asked them why they were leaving, Nader was up NEXT!!!! And they said "I am not voting for Nader, no reason to stay." I was a little pissed off. I mean if they did come just to see Ed then they could have at least respected all the people who came for Nader by waiting till the end of the event to leave, but whatever. Then Nader was introduced and you could feel all of the excitement in the room. He gave an inspiring speech and by the end I was more confidant that I was gonna VOTE NADER than ever before.

At the end of the event everyone who performed/spoke came back on stage and they played some song (sorry i don't know the title) and Patti Smith sang. The crowd sang along, and I could feel the unity in the room. It was the most intimate gathering at MSG that I have ever attended. It was crazy, and you really did know that you were not alone.