Bruce Springsteen, will be among two dozen other stars onboard for the “Vote for Change” tour aimed at defeating President George W. Bush in what some celebrities are calling the “election of a lifetime.”

The Dixie Chicks, John Mellencamp, Pearl Jam, R.E.M, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Bright Eyes. Babyface, Bonnie Raitt, Jurassic 5 and the Dave Matthews Band will also donate their time and talent. The artists represent different genres, genders and generations but will come together for a common goal.

“Vote for Change is a loose coalition of musicians brought together by a single idea - the need to make a change in the direction of our country,” the performers said in a joint statement.

The tour, with 34 shows in 28 cities, includes voter “swing states” including Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin and Florida, the integral state in the contested 2000 election. The shows begin in Pennsylvania with as many as six concerts on a single day across the country.

The week-long series of shows will be presented by liberal interest groups MoveOn.Org and America Coming Together (ACT), a group which promises on its Web site to “derail the right-wing Republican agenda by defeating George W. Bush.” Concert tickets sales go on sale Aug. 21 with shows beginning October 1, just over one month before the U.S. presidential election.

Stars often lend their name to product advertisement and endorsements, but tend to bite their tongue on affairs of state. This is especially since the now-famous incident where Dixie Chick Natalie Maines expressed her feelings of dissent for Bush. The country singer came under close scrutiny for criticizing the president’s policies before a London audience and saying she was ashamed to share her home state of Texas with him.

However, not all stars are as fearful of repercussions from public display of their views.

“A vote for change is a vote for a stronger, safer, healthier America,” Matthews said. “A vote for Bush is a vote for a divided, unstable, paranoid America.”

“It’s a pretty clear-cut decision in November,” said Springsteen. Despite his patriotic anthems, the rocker has never been overtly opinionated, yet appears in the most political phase of his career of more than 30 years. “We’re trying to put forward a group of progressive ideals and change the administration in the White House.”

“I felt like I couldn’t have written the music I’ve written, and been on stage singing about the things that I’ve sung about for the last 25 years, and not take part in this particular election,” he said.

The performers’ involvement has added to the current stream of celebrities relying on their star-power to draw voters to the polls. Despite their notoriety, at the end of the day, these entertainers are tax-paying citizens, too.

“We are fighting for a government that is open, rational, just and progressive,” they said. “And we intend to be heard.”