INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Barack Obama's campaign is turning on the star power, bringing in singer Dave Matthews for a free concert to spark support among young voters leading into next month's Indiana primary.

The campaign's biggest star — the Illinois senator himself — also is heading back to the state Friday, where he'll host a town hall meeting in Fort Wayne.

Obama's trip is his second since March 15, and it and the Matthews concert Sunday in Bloomington signal an increased campaign presence in a state that has already seen multiple visits by rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Bill Clinton and the couple's daughter, Chelsea.

Obama campaign staffers gave away thousands of tickets Thursday for the Matthews concert from offices in Bloomington, Indianapolis and Lafayette. Staffers handed out one ticket per person at the downtown Indianapolis site after asking ticket-seekers whether they were registered to vote and having them provide e-mail address and phone numbers.

Brandon Merideth of Indianapolis spent more than an hour in line to pick up a ticket. The 26-year-old said he was already an Obama supporter and thought the event's blending of politics and music was fitting.

"I think with Dave doing this, it is helping bring out the youth out to vote and that is what we need," said Merideth, who has seen Matthews perform about 30 times. "Dave has always been a political person, so he will help people realize how important this is."

Younger voters have overwhelmingly supported Obama over Clinton in many states. In Wisconsin's February primary, for instance, surveys of voters leaving polling places found Obama supported by 70 percent of voters under age 30.

Other Obama efforts to build buzz among younger voters in Indiana include the chance for high school and college students — after registering enough new voters for the May 6 primary — to play basketball with the senator.

Clinton's campaign also has targeted Indiana college voters, dispatching Chelsea Clinton to five campuses across the state. Bill Clinton spoke Wednesday to at least 5,000 people at IU's Assembly Hall — where Matthews will perform on Sunday.

Obama campaign spokesman Kevin Griffis said Obama would not attend the Matthews concert but was expected to make another trip to Indiana next week.

The campaign at first was giving away 8,000 tickets to the show, but decided to give away an additional 5,500 tickets while adding distribution spots in Muncie and Terre Haute.

The Obama campaign has organized concerts in other states, but not on the scale of the one with Matthews, Griffis said. Matthews will make a pitch for Obama during the show.

"Dave is going to be able to bring in so many voters that we're really accomplishing the sort of mission that we wanted," Griffis said.

Matthews, who will perform at IU with guitarist Tim Reynolds, has had numerous hits with his Dave Matthews Band, which was among the top 10 North American concert draws in 2006.

Anica Lesjak, 19, of Carmel, waited with two friends to pick up Matthews tickets Thursday in Indianapolis. They all said they were more interested in Matthews than politics but were willing to hear Obama's message.

"You are going to vote for whoever despite a concert," Lesjak said. "It will make people hear more about him because of Dave."