Pitchfork

Hamilton County, Ohio-- home to Cincinnati-- will certainly prove one of most hotly-contested areas in the nation come election night. The former Republican stronghold has shown signs of a Democratic slide in recent elections, and this fall could very well see the populous county help tip the scales Barack Obama's way on a national level.

With that in mind, a couple bands whose Ohio roots run deep will join forces October 16 at Cincinnati's Fountain Square for a free concert in support of the Obama/Biden campaign they're calling "Vote Early Rock Late". The Breeders and the National-- whose Obama support is already well-documented-- will perform, and during the proceedings, buses will transport registered voters between Fountain Square and the Hamilton County Election Headquarters to cast an early ballot. (Presumably for Obama, but you do what you want.) Note that early voting starts September 30 in the Buckeye State, and in quite a few other states soon. Vote early and, uh, often.

The show is actually the only date the Breeders have lined up at the moment, but the same doesn't go for the National, who have a few dates through the fall in the States and Brazil. Thanks to reader D.T. Tobias for the concert tip.

The National:

10-10 New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom *
10-16 Cincinnati, OH - Fountain Square ("Vote Early Rock Late") ^
10-24 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Marina da Gloria (TIM Festival)
10-25 São Paolo, Brazil - Ibirapurea Park (TIM Festival)
10-27 Vitória, Brazil - UFES Theatre
11-08 Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest

* with Grizzly Bear
 ^ with the Breeders