Local bands rock for Obama

Barack Obama wants to rock the (early) vote.

The Democratic presidential candidate's campaign will host an "N.C. Rocks for Change" event in Asheville and Chapel Hill.

The Chapel Hill concert will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Graham Terrace, next door to the early voting site at Morehead Planetarium.

It features legendary North Carolina band The dBs, acoustic Superchunk and Mac McCaughan side project Portastatic, Ivan Rosebud, Megafaun, I Was Totally Destroying It, Bowerbirds, Greg Humphreys and Regina Hexaphone. 

The same bands will perform in Asheville. 

No tickets are required, and attendees will be treated to coffee and doughnuts. 

Incidentally, someone with the Obama campaign shares the tastes of N&O music critic David Menconi, who included Megafaun, I Was Totally Destroying It and Bowerbirds on his annual "Great Eight" list of local bands earlier this year.

A ticket to vote

Tickets for available today for a couple of indie rockers who will be performing next week to help Barack Obama get people out to vote.

Superchunk and Arcade Fire are scheduled to perform in Greensboro on May 1 and in Carrboro on May 2.

Details on ticket sales after the jump.

Rock the (one-stop) vote

Barack Obama is locking up the indie vote.

Not unaffiliated voters, mind you, but indie rockers. The Democratic presidential candidate will hold two concerts featuring independent-label bands Superchunk and Arcade Fire to encourage young voters to cast their ballots early.

Superchunk is a beloved Chapel Hill band best known for a song — whose title is unprintable here — about a particularly slothful Kinko's coworker. Arcade Fire is an arty Montreal band that draws on the Talking Heads for inspiration.

The bands will play at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex Pavilion parking lot at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, and at Carrboro Town Commons at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 2. Tickets are free, with admission on a first-come, first-served basis.

The concerts are designed to highlight Obama's early voting effort, held early in the afternoon so that attendees can cast one-stop ballots afterward.

Obama to hold rally in Carrboro?

Barack Obama may hold a major rally in Carrboro on May 2.

The event has not been officially confirmed, but the Carrboro Citizen reports that town officials are planning for a rally and rock concert on Friday afternoon at the Town Commons.

Town Manager Steve Stewart said the event, a concert and rally for the Illinois senator and leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, would be unprecendent since it will happen during business hours, while typically large events at Town Commons are held on weekends. The Obama campaign asked for the time slot, he said, because they want to be able to encourage attendees to take advantage of the early-voting site nearby at Town Hall.

The Citizen reports that local indie legends Superchunk and current Canadian darlings Arcade Fire will be on the bill for the concert. 

The town expects between 3,000 and 4,000 people to attend. 

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