Bruce Springsteen will perform at Washington D.C.'s National Mall on January 18 as part of Barack Obama's inauguration week welcome event. The event -- to be held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial -- will be open to the public for free.

The Washington Post's Lena Sun broke the story Wednesday, but the news hardly comes as a surprise. Springsteen has been an ardent supporter of the President-Elect, first backing Obama last April before playing benefit shows in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, and appearing at a rally with Obama in Cleveland on November 2.

While the Presidential Inaugural Committee has yet to confirm the news, the timing is ideal for Springsteen, who will release his new album, 'Working on a Dream,' on January 27. He's also set to perform at the Super Bowl XLIII halftime show in Tampa on February 1.