Contest Win tickets to see Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit or Dirty Beaches

In the spirit of summer, the time to arbitrarily decide Fridays are half-days for work, The A.V. Club is giving away free tickets to get in touch with your sensitive side for two Thursday performances back-to-back: Dirty Beaches on May 19 at Schubas, followed by Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit on May 26 at Lincoln Hall. For a chance to win tickets, send an e-mail to ochicago@theonion.com with “Jason Isbell” or “Dirty Beaches” in the subject line.

Dirty Beaches, a.k.a. Alex Zhang Hungtai, boasts a rather unique and thought-provoking sound that’s fused with his eclectic roots—encompassing Toronto, Honolulu, Montreal, and Vancouver. In his album, Badlands, Hungtai’s smooth voice juxtaposes nicely with the backdrop of a fuzzy electric sound that evokes a dreamy montage of beach sceneries. Hungtai will be joined by local band Heavy Times.

Former Drive-By Truckers member Jason Isbell shocked fans with his announcement to retire from the band. Now, as the leader of Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, Isbell continues the legacy of Drive-By Truckers’ gritty songs with heart-wrenching lyrics. The latest album, Here We Rest, features typical Alabama-esque bluesy tunes like “Go It Alone” and “Codeine,” which even bitter Drive-By Truckers fans are bound to embrace.