During their show at Phoenix's Cricket Pavilion on Wednesday (9/29)--which had the feel of a 1970s political rally--musicians Bonnie Raitt [ tickets ], Jack Johnson [ tickets ], Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Jackson Browne [ tickets ] shared messages of hope that President Bush will be voted out of office in November.

The artists make up the roster of one of six simultaneous national tours--all dubbed the Vote for Change Tour (others feature Bruce Springsteen, the Dixie Chicks, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, John Mellencamp and Babyface)--organized by Americans Coming Together and MoveOn, two political action committees working to unseat Bush.

Though they rarely spoke the names of President Bush and his opponent, John Kerry, the musicians made veiled references to a time for change. The music served as a backdrop to their remarks.

"This is a good time for the blues for what ails you," Raitt said. She added that she has hope for the "groundswell of support" that has built up in the country for Kerry.

Concertgoers, who only filled about two-thirds of the pavilion, were decked out with John Kerry campaign pins, T-shirts and signs.

Raitt's hour-long set-- clearly the highlight of the four-and-a-half-hour show--was mostly acoustic, and chock full of covers from the likes of Randy Newman, John Prine and Memphis Slim. The songs were the perfect vehicle for Raitt to show off her bluesy, soulful vocals.

Brown, meanwhile provided simple pop, and Crosby, Stills and Nash offered crystalline harmonies.

The concert served as a mutual-admiration-society meeting for the performers, who sang each other's praises, and stepped in to lend a hand with each other's songs.

"One of my favorite people in the world as you can probably guess is Jackson," Raitt said about Jackson Browne. "He's one of my favorites."

She dedicated Browne's song "Soldier of Plenty" to "the people in the White House who think they're running things."

David Crosby and Graham Nash joined Raitt for her song "Love Has No Pride," a laid-back affair during which Crosby hit the stage with his hands in his pocket and a baseball hat pulled down; Nash leaned back against a speaker cabinet as the two sang harmony.

Midway through her set, Raitt picked up an electric guitar, and simultaneously picked up the energy in the shed. The crowd showed their affection for the beginning notes of "Love Letter" by screaming Raitt's name and shouts of affection.

"Here's 'Love Letter.'," Raitt said. "Who said politics can't be sexy?"

As the song ended, an audience member shouted, "Where's George?" An obviously confused Raitt said, "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."

Brown dueted with Raitt on "Thing Called Love," one of the highlights of the night.

"It's great to be here and play with our friends," Browne said. "I might also say that it fills me with a tremendous feeling, a kindred feeling, with you all here tonight. We're adding voices to the voices calling for change in this country."

Keb' Mo', according to Raitt and Browne, had a personal matter to attend to and did not perform during the show as scheduled.