Touring musicians urged Boston University students to register to vote in the George Sherman Union Thursday, combining entertainment with a message of political involvement during an evening concert.
Organizers said more than 100 students registered to vote at the GSU from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Students came to get information about voting and to fill out Massachusetts’ voter registration forms as well as absentee ballots, said Emmett Williams, a New York based musician.
Williams and Cold Duck Complex, a four-man band that combines hip-hop, jazz and funk from Amherst, Mass., performed in the GSU Games Room at 9 p.m. during what they called a “non-partisan event.”
BU was the first of 15 college stops the musicians will make during their Voter Revolution Tour, Williams said.
“The goal of this thing is to get young people involved in the political process,” he said.
Williams stressed the importance of becoming involved in politics at an early age and said he hoped the concert would attract college-aged voters.
“I hope not just to entertain, but also to make people think,” Williams said in a phone interview before the concert. “I think it’s important for every age group to vote. Getting involved now carries with you for the rest of your life. If you vote now there’s a better chance you’ll vote later on.”
Williams performed acoustic, folk-influenced rock songs with British guitarist Gavin Bush.
During his performance, Williams tried to maintain objectivity, but hinted at feeling disenfranchised by the controversial presidential election of 2000.
“I feel like 51 percent of the population was not represented,” Williams said.
The Cold Duck Complex lead singer, who calls himself “Platypus Complex,” reiterated William’s dissatisfaction.
“Freedom is a catch phrase. I ain’t free,” he sang.
College of Arts and Sciences freshmen Jeremy Rothstein and Jade Meshesha both said they are registered to vote in their home states of New York and Pennsylvania, respectively.
“I like what they had to say,” Meshesha said, adding the artists voiced her “anger with the current administration.”
Student Union Programming Council Chair Mike Pereira said that Thursday’s concert was one of many planned for BU Central – formerly known as the Games Room – this year.
“We’re just providing entertainment for the students, which is what we do best,” he said.
About 30 students watched the concert, while others in the room were glued to the various television screens showing the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts football game.
BU’s chapter of Democracy Matters, a national non-partisan organization that aims to inform people about campaign finance reform, ran a table with voter information and registration forms for students attending the event.
Democracy Matters and PC organized the two-part event.
The Voter Revolution Tour was one of many recent opportunities for students to learn about the voting process and to register to vote, said Kenneth Elmore, dean of students.
“We’ve had a very positive response to students registering to vote already,” he said.
Elmore said students can find registration forms and information about voting in his third floor GSU office.
“I just want to make sure everybody gets out there to vote,” he said. “I hope they know why they’re voting and for whom they’re voting.”
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