Reunited and It Feels So Good

Some of the HeadCount team was in Hampton, VA this weekend, enjoying the reunited sounds of Phish. In addition to registering people to vote, we decided it would be cool to allow fellow fans to make their voice heard everyday, not just on election day by writing letters to their congressmen. If you're wishing you were there (and believe me, you do), take a sick day from work tomorrow, turn up the heat in your apartment, grab a beer (21+ only please) and listen to the MP3s of all the shows while sweating in your living room. You won't get any temporary rush of nostalgic claustrophobia from 3rd row center, but it'll be close enough.

For HeadCount, returning to Phish is always very special. They are the band that has a special place in the heart of many of our volunteers. We even have fond memories of Coventry, where we registered over 600 people. Phish represents the quintessential live music community. The intimate relationship between fans has such a power to change and is what HeadCount thrives on. Because of that, this was a very important weekend for us. It was our first series of shows in 2009 and the launch of our letter writing campaign. It marks the next step in getting music fans active in civic participation. Yes, you voted! Now it is time to take the next step. The Phish crowd made us feel at home, as always, with their enthusiasm for HeadCount's return to touring and their own involvement in democracy. We learned what fans respond to and what we can improve on for future shows. So, to all that were there next to us this weekend, thank you and congratulations for being such an incredible example of a community.

Another big congratulations goes out to Brent Fraim from Norfolk, Va, winner of the weekend raffle: a limited edition HeadCount Pollock poster. That thing's a beauty. I framed it myself.