Warren - The wait was hours long on Monday afternoon as supporters of John Kerry tried to keep themselves entertained before the Massachusetts senator arrived.
A few crowd waves circled through the bleachers of the Macomb Community College Sports & Expo Center. Some audience members hammed it up in front of local TV cameras. Others started anti-Bush cheers.
But then the real entertainment came out, first in the form of a parade of local politicians and then in a mini-concert from rock star Jon Bon Jovi.
Leaving the speeches to politicians, Bon Jovi told the crowd their votes would make a difference on Nov. 2.
"I'm starting to get excited, next Tuesday is just a minute away," Bon Jovi said. "Make sure you all come out and do the right thing on Tuesday.
"The country's counting on you."
During Bon Jovi's song, the crowd bounced "8 more days" signs in time with the beat.
Bon Jovi's casual words and low-key performance set the tone for the night of politics and promises. Gov. Jennifer Granholm sang her own pro-Kerry parody of a Bon Jovi song and Kerry ad-libbed a couple of jokes.
"And we'll all sleep when we're well-led," Granholm dead-panned to the tune of a song. "This ain't no slumber party."
Kerry then stepped forward in front of the almost 9,000-person crowd. Kerry spokesman Rodell Mollineau said 1,000 additional people were listening from an overflow room and event planners had to turn 5,000 people away.
"We just didn't expect this many people," he said. "What can you do?"
The crowd squeezed into the room showed their appreciation by bringing the yelling to a feverish pitch.
"Jon and I have a lot in common," Kerry joked. "Jon plays guitar, I play guitar.
"Jon was one of People magazine's most beautiful people and I read People magazine."
But turning serious, Kerry said he would fix the problems President Bush has left the country with. He committed to repairing international relationships and creating new good-paying jobs.
"George Bush can't see the mistakes he made and he can't fix them," Kerry said. "I can."
Kerry said he would track down terrorists and fight for middle-class rights. He also made a strong appeal for improvements in science, including space travel and stem cell research.
"He was definitely more spontaneous," said Janet McKenney, a Macomb Community College professor of speech and debate. "Somebody helped him with the demographics of this community. He hit all the right topics."
McKenney said she listens to many political speeches in an effort to provide her students with objective commentary and speech criticism.
"There are other ways we can get at these diseases than stem cell research," she said. "But that's so popular right now"
After waiting around since 1 p.m. for Kerry to take the stage at 7:30 p.m., Macomb student Melissa Warden, 23, said she was extremely pleased with the senator's speech.
"It was brilliant. He was awesome," she said. "He was really relaxed and he moved about the stage."
Warden said job availability is the most important issue to her because her father's company has suffered under job outsourcing.
Edsel Ford High School senior Tom Caron said the war in Iraq is the most important issue to him.
"I don't think it's a just war," he said. "We need change."
Although he will won't be old enough to vote on Election Day, Caron said he is passionate about getting people out to vote and has been campaigning for Kerry. The 17-year-old will attend MSU's James Madison College next year.
"My biggest pet peeve is people who don't vote."
