Nashville for Free

When I first heard The National I knew that I’d be a lifelong fan. The can go from serious brooding to rocking the hell out in three seconds flat. Those deep, dark baritone vocals over guitar riffs by those Dessner men, it’s indie rock perfection.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard that they were coming to the Ryman. I can hardly imagine a more fitting venue for them. The Ryman, with its stained glass, a church for The National’s songs about the lost. Isn’t that what church is for, the lost and disenchanted? My God, it’s perfect.

That’s why I’m so excited to bring this contest to you. I talked to the fine folks at 4AD and they have generously provided me with two tickets to their show at the Ryman AND an autographed poster for one of my lucky followers.

For the contest I’ve decided to switch things up just a little bit. Here are the details:

TO ENTER: Go to our facebook page and post a picture of yourself holding something violet. Bonus points if you’re holding actual violets. If you get creative enough to make me laugh then I’ll give you a few extra points then too. I’ll announce a winner next Friday, September 24th, so make sure you enter before then. Remember, you HAVE to post a picture to be eligible to win. You can’t just leave a comment (thought I wouldn’t discourage commenting).

I just had to say this because The National are also from Cincinnati…GO REDS!

I don’t know what it is, but we, along with AEG Live, just CANNOT stop giving away tickets for awesome concerts! I mean, this is music city, so there are a lot of them. We’ve already done Imogen Heap and Band of Horses, and now we bring you METRIC at the Cannery Ballroom on October 13th!

By now I think that some of you get the jist of what a N4F ticket giveaway means. It’s an easy two step process with a bonus step that does wonders for your chances of winning. We’ve had to make us something pretty, we’ve had you dress up as horses, and we’ve had you get all sexy on the hood of your car all in the name of free rock, and this time is no different. Here are the steps laid out all nice and pretty:

1. Like AEG Live on Facebook. This isn’t something you’ll regret doing. They’re our partners on this giveaway and they have awesome concert announcements, presale info, as well as their own contests all the time. Totally worth it.

2. Metric is Canadian, and we all know that Canadians make some pretty awesome music. So, leave us a pretty comment on THIS POST telling us what you think it is that makes Canadians so good at rocking out. Maybe you think it’s the cold winters or the lumberjacks. Get goofy or be totally serious. We prefer goofy. Also, we love Canadians. Be sure to comment with your first AND last name and leave a REAL email address. Otherwise I won’t know how to contact you and I’ll just pick another winner.

Those two steps are all you have to do to be entered into the contest once. That means your name is the the cowboy hat only one time. However, if you want your name to be in that stetson FIVE TIMES all you have to do is this…

3. BONUS STEP. With all this talk about Canada I think it’s important that the winner of the contest has a working knowledge of Canadian culture (or at least stereotypes), so we want you to send us a picture of you getting Canadian on us. Put on copious amounts of flannel, double fist maple syrup like it’s PBR, cut down a tree (actually, please don’t physically cut down a tree), photoshop a thought bubble above your head that says “eh? eh. EH!” in it. Get creative! If you send me into a laughter-induced coma I might even enter you more than five times. Email the pics to nashvilleforfree @ gmail.com

So what are you waiting for??? Get commenting! Dust off those cameras! I’m randomly selecting a winner on Monday, August 30th, Tuesday, August 31st, so make sure you get entered by then! Good luck!

Update: Unfortunately, Neko Case has canceled her entire tour, which includes the Nashville date. I’d like to apologize to our winner and our participants, we’re pretty bummed too. Keep your eyes peeled for a new contest soon!

As you may have heard, we’ve been trying to give away a pair of Neko Case tickets courtesy of AEG Live. 29 people entered that contest, and a mere 3 of them followed the bonus step to get a serious advantage. Last time our winner sent us an incredible horse picture, but this time the bonus-step followers weren’t quite so lucky. In fact, our winner was a simple commenter named Cara who said her favorite Neko Case song is “Vengeance is Sleeping”. Good choice. Congratulations, Cara!

However, I can’t end this post without giving a shout-out to the three fellows who wanted Neko Case tickets enough to jump on the hoods of their cars and look pretty awesome/ridiculous while doing so. Effrin, Joshua, and Matt, I salute you fellows! I wish I could give you a consolation prize, but we only had one pair of tickets to give away. Better luck next time, good sirs.

Here are some pics of the happy gentlemen.

Now that's what I call Saucy

Closest imitator, for sure

-Emily

PS,
I’m not going to give away too many details just yet, but we already have another contest or two in the works. I hope to see more people attempt the bonus step next time!

The Proud Winner

I’d like to thank everyone who entered the Band of Horses ticket giveaway. I feel like everyone deserved to win (Band of Horses is really important to a lot of people), but there could only be one winner, and her name is Lauren W.

Obviously, the extra points that she got by sending me a picture of herself dressed as a horse really helped her out, and not just because it made everyone at the N4F headquarters laugh. She got entered into the contest five more times than she would have had she just left a comment.

There were actually quite a few people who sent us pictures and videos of My Little Ponies and other horse related things. One dude even had a video where he rode his dog around like a horse (no dogs were harmed in the making if it, I assume).

Again, I have to thank AEG/The Messina Group for being completely awesome.

Here are a few of the other pics.

Amber, N4F loves you too.

Singing My Little Pony?

A story of poverty

That dog is HUGE!

Remember last month when our good friends at AEG/The Messina Group sponsored our Imogen Heap ticket give-away? Well, they thought that you all might appreciate another go at some free tickets. This time around it’s for internationally acclaimed rock n’ rollers, Band of Horses.

The Seattle based band will be playing at the War Memorial Auditorium on July 12th in support of their new record, Infinite Arms.

We’ve been to the War Memorial a few times, and we think it’s a really cool venue…and hey, the band’s not bad either. Actually, they’re really good. If you like Fleet Foxes, The National, Bon Iver, or My Morning Jacket then you have a pretty good chance of liking these guys as well.

Last time we had a contest we asked you guys to create something about “free.” We got a few good entries, but I learned my lesson and this time we’re not asking you to do anything creative. Instead, we’ve got an extra easy 2 step plan. Be sure to follow every step carefully, or else we wont count you in on this awesomeness.

• Step 1: Click the following link, and “Like” the AEG Live/The Messina Group page on Facebook.
• Step 2: Come on back to ‘ol Nashvilleforfree.com. Leave us a comment on THIS blog post telling us how much you love Band of Horses and why you deserve the tickets (and your name). Be sure you give us a valid email address because, well, that’s how we’re going to know how to contact you.

We’ll pick a winner on Monday, June 21st, so be sure to enter before then.

But that’s not all! Sure, leaving one little comment will get you entered into the contest, but only once. If you want to increase your chances of winning, we’ll enter you 5 times if you follow this step.

• Step 3 (BONUS POINTS!): Email us a picture of yourself dressed up as a horse while holding up a piece of paper or a sign that says N4F so we know you didn’t just grab a picture of a dude dressed up as a horse on the internet. We know your tricks.

Disclaimer: We may also accept pictures of you dressed up as a serious cowboy, which means more than just a hat, and we’ll consider pictures of your old My Little Pony dolls arranged to look like they’ve started a band. Get creative, but please, for the love of all that is good, do NOT write any poetry. We want horse people, damnit.

Email those pictures to nashvilleforfree at gmail dot com to get entered into the contest FIVE TIMES! Worth it? Totally.

Then, if you win and show up to the show dressed like you were in your picture we’ll buy you a drink or something. You will have earned it.

Good luck!

Love,

The N4F Crew

Winner!

Well guys, after two weeks and about a dozen contest entries, I’ve picked a winner. Jessica Rosenberg won two free tickets to the upcoming Imogen Heap show at the Ryman Auditorium with a freaking PAINTING! Yeah, she put a lot of effort into it, and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the best thing I saw. Among other entries were a few poems, an incredibly creepy video, a picture of free furniture arranged in a room, a pretty funny picture, and a painted bowl sent in from a freegan. I have to say, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get more entries. It’s harder than I thought to get people to enter to win awesome free stuff. Here are a few of the other good entries:

Beth Quarles, awesome bowl

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Dinner

I lol'd hardcore at this one, Kevin Sage

Again, big thanks to AEG Live/Messina Group. They have contests all the time and we’ll probably get together sometime soon to give you guys more free tickets! Add them on Facebook to keep up to date on this stuff, dudes!

Not married? Maybe?

If you read this week’s Weekly Highlights you might have seen an event at 11pm this Tuesday (April 27) called for  “Secret Unannounced Julian Casablancas Afterparty.” Well, it’s obviously not a secret, but it is pretty fantastic sounding.

The party is going to celebrate the birth of Dave Paulson, who you might know from The Privates, who are awesome. Yep, it’s his birthday party, and all of you (who are 21+) are invited. Did I mention he may or may not be a bachelor? (read: he’s not) Yeah, that’s just a head’s up for all you ladies who still wish for a man at 11:11 every day. I mean, you can risk it, but if he is married I won’t take responsibility for any injuries you might obtain from the wife of a married man who has some lady flirting with him.

If you’re wondering what that has to do with a contest, be patient, I’m getting to that! Mr. Brandon Jazz from the Mercy Lounge just sent me an email about some things that they’re giving away through US, Nashville for Free. You could win any of the following things:

• one piece of limited edition birthday cake

• one song request (this will be the ONLY song request of the evening, so make it count)

• a life-size Britney Spears cardboard cutout (“One More Time”-era Britney)

Those are some pretty sweet prizes if you ask me. I’d obviously want to win the cake, but I’d take the song request, but just because I want everyone to know what awesome taste in music I have.

To enter the contest (which you should do) just RSVP to the Secret Unannounced Julian Casablancas Afterparty on Facebook then make a comment mentioning how bad ass Nashville for Free is. You know it’s true. The only thing more bad ass than us is Dave Paulson, but only because his birthday is coming up.

Get on it! If you enter it’ll make us look good!

Also, if you like Imogen Heap don’t forget you have until May 1st to enter that contest. I haven’t been blown away by any of the entries yet, so your chances are still high.

-Emily

Usually this is the part where I give you the link so you can enter a contest to win free Imogen Heap tickets for her show at the Ryman on June 5th. Well guess what. THIS IS THE LINK! That’s right, Nashville for Free has hooked up with AEG Live Promotions to give you the chance to win a beautiful pair of Imogen Heap tickets.

Usually you don’t have to do anything other than give out your email address and phone number to win tickets, but we think that’s lame and that you all could do SO much better. That’s why we’ve decided to actually make this contest fun. Are you ready for the details? Are you freaking ready for the details???? HERE THEY ARE!!

Create something about free stuff. It can be anything, a Nashville for Free theme song, an epic poem, a limerick, a haiku, a painting, a caricature, a group of photographs, a sculpture made of sporks and leather boots, ANYTHING! The only rule is that it has to somehow relate to or be about free things. Email your submission to nashvilleforfree AT gmail DOT com by 8pm on May 1st to be eligible to win. Note: you don’t have to mention N4F to win.

After we get all the submissions Lance, Michelle, whoever else and I will all get together and pick the winner. If you can make us laugh hysterically, cry, or stare in amazement you’ll probably win.

If you win, not only will you get the free tickets, but your creation will be featured HERE! On THIS BLOG! Pretty cool, right?

So that’s about it! There really isn’t a lot to it. If you have any questions just leave them in the comments second here and we’ll get back to you ASAP (because we live online).

Have fun creatin’!

Also, check out the AEG Live promotions facebook group for details on this contest and a bunch of others. They ROCK!

-Emily