
NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Democratic Party) - The legendary band DEVO and musical sensation The
Black Keys will take the stage together in a show of support for presidential candidate Barack Obama at 8 p.m. Friday, October 17, 2008, at the Akron Civic Theatre in Akron, Ohio.
Twenty electoral votes are up for grabs in the swing state, and winning Ohio could play a pivotal role in winning the upcoming presidential election.
With John McCain's campaign recently pulling out of Michigan in an effort to place more resources in states such as Ohio, band members are persuaded to show their support through a dual act.
"Ohio is where we need to be," said Mark Mothersbaugh, DEVO co-founder and frontman. "We hope to make an impact with this concert, and raise consciousness to what's happened in Ohio in the past eight years. I think that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are our only hope. That's why we are here."
The founding members of DEVO sprang from Akron in the 1970s at a time when the city was in a severe recession and dealing with the after-effects of a failed war. The band channeled that frustration into such groundbreaking hits as "Gates of Steel," "Whip It" and "Freedom of Choice."
The Black Keys, a new addition to the ticket, have been a rising sensation in Akron throughout the past decade, also a time of national economic hardships and an on-going war. They have been praised by numerous national publications and have appeared on The Late Show David with Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brian.
All proceeds will benefit the Summit County Democratic Party.