Contest Win tickets to Blah Blah Blah or Greensky Bluegrass

You lucky dogs, The A.V. Club has tickets to give away to two shows at the Double Door. On Saturday, Jan. 29, new-wave group Blah Blah Blah will be playing along with Room 11, Jess Godwin, and Borrow Tomorrow. On Thursday, Feb. 3, Greensky Bluegrass will assault the stage with its arsenal of banjos and mandolins. To win, interested parties should e-mail ochicago@theonion.com and include either “Blah Blah Blah” or “Greensky Bluegrass” in the subject line.

Chicago’s Blah Blah Blah plays up the best parts of The Smiths’ Meat Is Murder days and works it into an emotional, upbeat, and seemingly British form of indie-rock. Last year, Blah Blah Blah released its EP Charm and was included on The Chicago Tribune’s 2010 list of “local bands on the verge of breaking big-time”. Rather than sticking strictly to legendary new-wave and Brit-rock acts, Blah Blah Blah adds a trace of ambiance to indicate that its music balances the beloved foundations of new wave with a necessary layer of innovation.



In 2006, the Kalamazoo boys of Greensky Bluegrass showed the judges at the 33rd Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest who was boss. The five-piece band won the contest on three hours of sleep and received the prize—a spot on Telluride’s main stage in 2007. Since then, the band has been perpetually touring and releasing odes to the road through studio and live albums, like 2008’s Five Interstates and 2009’s All Access Vol. 1. These guys definitely don’t plan on getting off the road any time soon.