Big name artists join HeadCount, rally for voter registration

Wilco wants you to vote.

HeadCount, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that dedicates itself to getting more people registered to vote, has increased its, you know, headcount. Numbers matter, and musicians of all stripes are hopping on the democracy-bolstering bandwagon in this election year, among them Paste favorites The Decemberists, Wilco and My Morning Jacket, as well as Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers Band, members of The Grateful Dead and Phish, Jack Johnson, Megadeth, Santana and The Foo Fighters. The artists are the keystone of HeadCount's plan to register 100,000 voters at over 1,000 concerts this year.

DMB, John Mayer and Johnson have so far been among the most committed to the cause—HeadCount will have a presence at every show on each of their summer tours. Representation can also already be seen at Foo Fighters, Wilco, Ani DiFranco, Megadeth and Colin Meloy solo concerts, and will appear at several major festivals, including Bonnaroo, Virgin Festival and Farm Aid.

HeadCount has registered 60,000 voters over the last four years, and boasts a volunteer force of several thousand. The organization has enjoyed high profile support since its inception in 2004 (it first gained widespread attention when former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir broke years of stage silence to speak to his crowd about voter registration), and really stepped up its efforts in 2007, but election year is crunch time. "I believe we all have a responsibility to make our voices heard where we can, and encourage others to do the same," Matthews said in a statement. "We have worked with HeadCount since its beginning, and are very glad to see that other artists are now supporting the organization."

You can also register to vote via HeadCount.org.

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.