"And anyone who thinks you can separate art and politics as easily as you claim to doesn't know a whole lot about art. If you want someone to be vapid and just "shut up and sing"

Once again, there's a distiction you're failing to make. If an singer wants to put political issues in their music they are perfectly welcome to do that and if it sells, then it sells. Take a group like the Cranberries for example; they are a very advocate group and put political themes in their music all the time. I can't say I agree with their opinions a lot of the time, but if I go to their concerts I know what I'm paying for. The same thing with Neil Young and his ridiculous album singing "Let's all impeach the President." If thats what you want to pay to go see, then I'm sure you'll have a grand ol' time. Now take the Dixie Chicks, who as far as I know haven't had a history of being political in their music, and if they want to take time out of their concert to tell everyone who much they hate Bush, I bet the audience is going to have a problem with that.

Now I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that if in the next concert you go to the singer wants to take 45 minuets out of his show to tell everyone what a brave and honerable man of conviction the president is, I bet you're not going to be too happy with that because that's not what you paid to see.

1. cranberries: "dreams"
2. no idea