More than 2,500 teens showed up for BBYO—Tuned In: a recent concert at Wootton High School in Potomac, Md.

What do you get when you put rock stars, rappers, celebrities, politicians and 2,500 teens together? You get the fine work of BBYO—Tuned In: a concert at Wootton High School in Potomac, Md., on April 24. JVibe was one of many partners that contributed to the success of the “rockin’” evening that attracted an enormous crowd from the community.

Other partners included Rock the Vote, HOT 99.5 FM, B’nai B’rith International, Asian American LEAD, College Democrats of America, College Republicans of America, Interfaith Works, Americans United, League of Women Voters and numerous others.

The five-and-a-half-hour evening packed full of events included the fresh to death, West Coast, tattoo-splattered rappers Tiga and Gata. They got concert-goers into the spirit of the night as they performed while running up and down the stage as if they had just ingested 50 Starbucks Americanas.

The musical headliners of the evening, Pat McGee Band and Gym Class Heroes, brought the house down. In between songs, they motivated their fans to become politically aware and to vote. For those who are too young to vote, they reinforced that those voices still matter.

After mingling throughout the crowd with a recorder in hand, I learned that about 50 percent of the crowd was split between voting for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Very few young adults stated that they would vote Republican. However, that’s not a surprising response because of the demographics of the Washington metropolitan area—more specifically, Maryland. But one message resounding throughout the evening was clear, as emphatically stated by a Wootton High School student: “Personally, I believe that George W. Bush has done a very bad job. So it’s time for a change! A lot of young people do not vote. The whole purpose of this concert is to push us to vote.”

Some of the issues facing young people today were explained by another teen from Washington, D.C.: “College money and tuition, gas prices, the economy and the war in Iraq affect all of us. We need someone in office who can tackle these problems.”

Student leaders and elected representatives stressed the significance of getting out the young vote and being politically involved. At times the crowd broke into a chant with clenched fists in the air, led by the charismatic front man of Gym Class Heroes, Travis “Schleprok” McCoy: “Rock…the…vote! Rock…the…vote! Rock…the…vote! Rock…the…vote!”

The more people who vote, the better chance we have to get a great president in office—someone who can resolve the vital issues facing us today. To get more “tuned in,” check out the exclusive sound clip above.

Michele Pinczuk is a teen journalist who freelances for several publications, including The New York Times. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area. Michele loves New York and Saturday Night Live. Her role models are Gilda Radner, Golda Meir, her grandmom, mom and Aunt Sylvia. She’s also a member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board.