Win 2 Tix to Boston Beer Summit on FRI 4/13

FRI 4/13

5:30pm to 9pm
Boston Beer Summit
at Park Plaza Castle, 130 Columbus Ave, Boston
$42.50 / 21+

I have attended the Boston Beer Summit several times, and it was worth the price of admission as far as my friends and I were concerned.



But why pay when you can win tickets?

You and one friend have a chance to go to the Friday night session for free with hundreds of beers from about 75 breweries.

It looks like there tickets still available for Friday and the early Saturday session (12:30pm to 4pm).

The Matt & Kim Winner is...

If you were looking for Wednesday/Thursday cheapness, see below.

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I have read all the entries for the Matt & Kim ticket giveaway for the House of Blues concert on FRI 12/9.

It was difficult to choose, because I really liked every answer in one way or another.

A lot of them made me laugh or go "Aww..." (Julia!), but the winning criteria is completely subject to my whims.

There were two entries that had a time-travel aspect to it -- yet one of them also included a zombie element -- so the winner is:

James F. who said...

I would streak with Matt at my own funeral because I love his music and I've always wanted to be a naked zombie. Imagine the look on my mom's face!

Thanks to everyone who played! There may still be tickets for sale. I might just go, because they give a fun performance from what I've see and read.

You can always show up at the Converse Store (Back Bay) on Saturday 12/10 between 1pm and 3pm to see Matt and Kim. Their customized sneaker will be for sale (couldn't find an image of the shoe).

And I can't stop you from streaking through the store...

Tix Giveaway for 12/9: Matt & Kim at House of Blues

UPDATE: The contest is closed. Congrats to James F.!

There's nothing wrong with MuteMath, but I would be way more interested in seeing Matt and Kim in concert. I don't always want to dance to the same tunes as other people, but the Brooklyn duo are pretty friggin' awesome.

And a lucky reader will win 2 tickets to the House of Blues show on Friday 12/9. (Tix still appear to be available for $24 or $35.)

I like to give everyone an equal chance to win, so here's the giveaway contest:

Remember that video for "Lessons Learned" where Matt and Kim streak through Times Square (see below)?

If you could streak with either Matt or Kim, who would you choose and where would you do it?

There are no wrong answers, but I will choose my favorite by noon tomorrow (12/7) and announce it shortly afterwards.

Two ways to enter:

Sign in and leave a comment with one of the listed ID's (Google, OpenID, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM) so I can contact you --or-- email me (add the punctuation).

ALSO:

A good source tells me a Matt & Kim sneaker will be available at the Converse Store (Back Bay) on Friday.

I called the store, and they said the band will be there on Saturday 12/10 some time between 1pm and 3pm.

I doubt they're actually hanging out and signing stuff for 2 solid hours, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out.


Matt and Kim - "Lessons Learned" from FVMMO Films on Vimeo

SAT 11/5: Wanna Be on "MasterChef"?

10am to 6pm
MasterChef Casting Call
at Le Cordon Bleu, 215 First St, Cambridge (East Cambridge/Cambridgeside)
* Your heartache & tears -- plus ingredient costs

Unless you really, really, REALLY got the cooking chops and a compelling life story, you don't have a chance of getting on the show.

I know a North Shore guy who is a seriously awesome cook and has a great personality. He would've been entertaining to watch on TV and can transform ingredients to a higher plane, but he didsn't have the narrative that this program is looking for.

If you're a recovering addict... If you're 1st-generation immigrant... If you're a MIT scientist who wants to change professions... If your chef-parent doesn't think you're good enough... Etc, etc, then you have a shot to make your dream come true.

If so, then:

* Pre-register online
* Fill out the PDF application
* Bring a current photo of yourself
* Bring a photo of your plated dish
* Bring your food/ingredients to be finished and plated once you enter the audition room.

Will you meet Gordon Ramsay? I have no idea (probably 50-50 or less)...

Otherwise make a nice meal for your loved ones and consider yourself ahead on the deal.

Thru THUR 10/13: Can You Enter this Contest?

I personally tried the link to enter the Citi/Wang Concert Sweepstakes on a couple browsers with no luck, but the contest people said it's working.

The bottom line is that if it works for you, there is one less entry competing against you...

I wish I would've told you about this earlier because the winner is going to get:

- a pair of tickets to an event of their choice at the Citi/Wang Theatre
- a music prize pack including an MP3 player and headphones (approx. value $354)
- a gift certificate for a night on the town ($200)
- a pair of tickets to a local Boston museum or attraction

Some upcoming shows include: concerts such as Sting, John Mellencamp, Duran Duran, Noel Gallagher's (ex-Oasis) new band... Boston Lyric Opera performances... I imagine you could request tix for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular...

There is supposed to be a quick registration form to fill out, and the deadline is tomorrow 10/13. You can enter every 24 hours (PDF rules), so that's 2 chances to win. You must also be a MA resident.

Update: Okay, it worked for me. I can now see they're gathering info to probably make sales calls for cable TV.

PS: There's quite a bit of cheapness through Saturday on the calendar.

"Neutral Uke Hotel" Winner

Congrats to Julie Mac!

Quite a few people chose lyrics from "Holland, 1945".

Nice work, but I went with this:

Now she's a little boy in Spain,
Playing pianos filled with flames,
On empty rings around the sun,
All sing to say my dream has come.

I didn't know what my criteria would be when I originally posted.

My pick was based mainly on my poetic enjoyment and today's mood.

Thanks to everyone who played along! I wish more people could get in tonight. You can see Golden Bloom play non-NMH stuff in a couple weeks...


(Saturday cheapness is on the calendar.)

Tix Giveaway Tonight: "Neutral Uke Hotel"

FRI 5/7

8pm to 10:30pm
Golden Bloom presents "Neutral Uke Hotel"
at Arts at The Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville (Spring Hill)
[SOLD OUT]

Update: We have a winner. Congrats, Julie Mac!

Like many others, my blackened and curmudgeonly heart goes a little gooey when I hear Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea". I want to waltz around or swing my beer mug.

Golden Bloom's Shawn Fogel is a master song in his own right. If you love powerpop, you should immediately listen to "Fan the Flames", which was one of the best albums of last year.

Fogel will play the entire album with his own little twist.

He's going to play it on the ukulele, baby!

I've been saying for a couple years that ukulele is the new hot instrument, and it may be on the verge of global domination. Maybe not domination, but why not teach every kid how to play? The ukulele beats a laptop for reliability in every case except if one sits on it...

There will be guests on melodica and trumpet and so on, but mainly you've got an awesome album + awesome performer + the awesome ukulele.

Sadly it's sold out. There are no more tickets available -- except for sheer luck that I can get you and a guest in!

Have you listened to Golden Bloom yet? Good, now you should try to win tickets to tonight's show. (Since most of you can't get in tonight, Golden Bloom is headlining the Middle East - Upstairs on THUR 5/20.)

I want to give people a chance to win, so here's the giveaway contest:

What is your favorite line of Neutral Milk Hotel lyrics?

Sign in and leave a comment with one of the listed ID's (Google, OpenID, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM) so I can contact you -- OR -- email me (add the punctuation).

I will notify/announce the winner by 3pm.

Doors open at 7:30pm. Daniel Harris will play an opening set. I think they'll serve beer and wine.

(I know the #88 and the #90 buses go down Highland Ave.)

Prize Photo: Boston Skyline Necklace

Hey, I forgot to post a photo of the Boston Skyline necklace from the March giveaway.

Congrats again to the winner, Leah!

Thanks to Kelly of The Refinery Boutique for offering to give away a necklace! I like how she used the Hancock Tower and the Pru as bookends then plopped the Zakim in the middle. Back Bay looks more interesting that way...

And thanks to everyone who joined the game!

Winner -- Boston Skyline Necklace

After some deliberations, the creative team at The Refinery Boutique and I have chosen a winner of the Boston Skyline necklace contest...

Congrats to Leah!

Trees! On top of buildings.

Imagine little rooftop gardens complete with elegant trees (especially pines, firs, conifers) atop the tall buildings.

Yeah, it sounds really weird. But I'm all about trees and greenery, and not only would it give Boston a VERY unique skyline, but it would also give Boston's bird life some awesome places to roost/nest/reside.

I once read an article about how humans erecting all these buildings is creating so many "dead footprints" for wildlife in regards to green areas, and ever since then I've wanted to spread the idea of Growing Stuff on the Top of Your House (or Office Building), whatever.

So yep, that's my funny weird idea for Boston's skyline.

Well said.

I don't know if it's feasible to put a giant douglas fir on top of the Hancock Tower, but I like the idea...

I asked Kelly to take a picture of the necklace before she sends it out, so I'll post the image when I get it.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Reminder: Win a Boston Skyline Necklace

I don't do a lot of giveaways, and I was glad to be involved with this one, which is pretty cool.

Kelly of The Refinery is a local artist, who contacted me to spread the word about her online shop where she offers a variety of jewelry and a few other items based in wood. If you want to see her stuff in person, On Centre [Yelp, Facebook] in Jamaica Plain has some of her mercy.

She's making a Boston skyline necklace for the winner. It could be the Back Bay… It could be the Waterfront... I'll ask for a photo before she sends it out, so everyone can see it.

Anyone who comes up our favorite answer to this question wins the prize:

How would you improve the Boston skyline?

There are no wrong answers! Kelly and I will pick our favorite answer that is sent by the end of Tuesday 3/30, and we'll try to announce the winner before the end of Wednesday 3/31.

I should've thought of using the subscribe form earlier, but it's an easy way to enter (see below). You'll be sent to the "Subscribe Thank you" page, but just know you're entered in this contest.

Update: I deleted the form to avoid confusion.

You can also enter by leaving a comment here or at the original post too.

Win a Boston Skyline Necklace!

Add a little bark to your bling!

Kelly of The Refinery has offered to give away one her skyline necklaces to a Cheap Thrills reader.

She turns wood into an assortment of necklaces, dog tags, rings, and a wine bottle holder.

Check out her Etsy shop -- or you can visit On Centre [Yelp, Facebook], the store in Jamaica Plain, which is carrying some of her items.

As you may have noticed, the sample photo is a generic skyline.

I actually stared at it for a long time trying to identify the buildings before I asked Kelly about it.

Your prize will actually capture some of the local architecture.

Whatever the final image is, you will be the first person to have this cool piece of Boston jewelry.

People will marvel. Friends will be astonished. Others will be jealous.

It's easy to win.

Just give your answer to following question...

How would you improve the Boston skyline?

There are some nice views, but could we rank up there with Chicago, New York, or Seattle?

Your answer could be funny, profound, practical, or whatever... The artist and I will choose the winner with no specific criteria other than the answer we like best.

So sign in with one of the listed ID's (Google, OpenID, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM) and leave a comment -- OR -- email us (me & Kelly, both on gmail -- add the punctuation).

Deadline to enter is Tuesday 3/30, and we'll pick a winner on Wednesday 3/31 so you know we're not fooling...

I'll probably post a couple reminders over the next two weeks. I personally think it would be fine to enter multiple times...

If you win, Kelly will mail it to you. (Thanks, Kelly! Check out her stuff!)

Happy brainstorming!

(I will hopefully have a Wednesday post up soon...)

11/15: Hey, Mac & Cheese Lovers

2:30pm
Boston Macaroni & Cheese Takedown
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
FREE to enter / $10 all-you-can-eat / 18+

Holy elbow pasta, Batman!

Macaroni 'n cheese is one of my favorite-favorites, and especially in the cooler months.

I'm not alone either according to news reports I've read, because sales are up in the last year for Kraft macaroni-in-a-box. It's a wise choice, because I've never been able to get homemade macaroni to crisp up in the same way. Maybe someone will bring the crispness...

It's very similar to the chili takedown that happened in June.

For the price of of 5 or 6 boxes, you can have a most wondrous buffet of cheesy noodles. The price of admission, you can fill your gullet with as much mac 'n cheese as you like; and PBR is sold to wash it all down rather cheaply.

If you can wait a little while for lunch, satisfy two meal cravings with one beautiful binge!

Do you have a tasty recipe?

I checked with Matt, and they still welcome more competitors to win "cash and other" prizes. Send him an email, and he'll give you the details.

I'd love to see a CTB reader win something -- tell me to vote for your dish if I'm there... If not, I'll try to put up a notice here.

9/2: Maxwell Tix Giveaway

Now:


Then:

When "Urban Hang Suite" came out, I couldn't get enough of the classic soul sound. All my grunge friends were shocked, but it was smooth and funky and everything you wanted in a make-out soundtrack.

Maxwell has stayed true to his muse. He cut his hair, but he's still the man. He's recently released his fourth CD, "BLACKsummers'night", which is supposed to be the first in a trilogy.

Samsung is presenting a series of Summer Krush concerts, and Maxwell is going to be in Boston tomorrow night.

I have had one pair of tickets to give away for an hour-long show at House of Blues. I'm going to require a little Maxwell knowledge (or Google skills) this time:

Which song from my favorite Maxwell album does he try to make his lover realize that she's the highest of the high?

Be the first person that comments with the correct answer and some way for me to contact them.

Update: We have a winner. Better luck next time...

So sign in with one of the listed ID's (Google, OpenID, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM) or put some contact info (e.g. email) in your comment.

7/27: Get into a Stuff Block Party?

I figured it a few days ago when I entered the Will Dailey contest then saw this Stuff invite. An email or web registration page won't suffice to get something free anymore.

You have to embarrass yourself with a silly twitter or write something like "I'M HOT" on a Facebook wall. I wish I could tell you more details about this "Hot 100" block party, but I'm just not cool enough...

(Phew! Maybe I'm feuding with the new version of Stuff[at]Night?)

Yes, I might enjoy free drinks from Stuff again, but never by writing something stupid on your wall! (...again.)

Give it a shot yourself, and you might get an invite. As of Sunday, I didn't get an email letting me know either way...

Contest: Tweet Will Dailey to get on Cruise Concert

Will Dailey & the Rivals head out to sea for a Boston Harbor cruise on FRI 7/31. You can buy tickets for $25, but why not win a pair of tickets with a paltry tweet?

To enter, simply twitter: "@willdailey I want you to sing me a song #willdaileyonaboat".* You have to get twitterin' by SAT 7/25 for a chance to win. (And sorry, teenyboppers -- it's a 21+ event...)

This is could be a fun night without Dailey and band. We're in the midst of Will releasing a series of musical mini-releases known collectively as "Torrent" (at least for Volumes 1 & 2). The new releases have plenty of local references like one volume named "By the Blue Hills" (inspired by Boston in general), and there's a song called "Allston".

All the attention he's getting is much deserved, since his songs are so well-written with equal attention to words and music and radio-ready production. There's a strong vein of poppy folk-rock, yet one can admire Dailey for the pleasant variety.

Even when Will hits the Top-40, I'll still dig his stuff without shame. You can hear an authentitcity in that soulful voice (that I don't really get from irritating punks like Mayer or Mraz). I ran into Will Dailey last year, and we talked for a few minutes. He seems like a genuinely nice guy that we should get behind.

The best thing about a free Harbor cruise is that you feel quite liberated to buy a bunch of drinks when I've saved $50. If you win, "Will will both dedicate and serenade the winner of this contest." So that's kinda cool.

Some don't use Twitter -- like teens -- that's cool. Bottom line: It's free, and you don't have to use it. (I'm dabbling to monitor for cheap opportunities, but I rarely send anything -- yet.) It is a way to win stuff like this, and you'll hear about opportunities if you follow the right feeds, like Paul Pierce...

This is a funny, little promo video:



* I could explain the "@" (you're sending the message to Will's twitter) and the "#" (whatever follows is like a tag you'd find on websites), but you don't need to worry unless you want to be twitterific.

THUR 7/16: Get a Free Candy Bar; Maybe Win a Prizes

Noon
"Golden Ticket Giveaway"
at TD Garden (North Station) and TD Bank Boston branches
FREE

There are various prizes, but one lucky devil will win a pair of tickets to every event at The Garden for a year. That's Bruins, Celtics, Blazers, concerts, the circus... "Snoopy on Ice"... (if it's there).

At the very least, you might get a free candy bar... There are only 19,600 chocolate bars spread between The Garden and Boston-area branches of TD Bank, and about 500 are prize winners.

IF you get a "golden ticket", you aren't automatically the grand prize winner. You are 1 of 5 finalists however. They'll announce the big winner tomorrow. [official rules]

Update: According to someone I know who works at The Garden, the candy bar crowd was estimated at 20,000!

Contest: Win Wilco Tix with Chalk

Just like the Dropkick Murphys before them, Wilco will rock LeLacheur Park (home of the Lowell Spinners) in July. They're doing a mini-tour of minor league stadiums that includes a stop in Delaware and a couple gigs in New York.

Who cares why it's happening, but the band is holding a "Sidewalk Chalk Graffiti Contest" to win a pair of tickets to one of the shows. A grand prize winner gets 2 tix to all 4 concerts.

Here is the deal:

Step #1 -- Create a chalk drawing on a sidewalk with the details (date, location) of one of the 4 shows. Here's all the info I've gathered about the Lowell show:

Saturday, July 11

Wilco w/ Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band

at LeLacheur Park
450 Aiken St, Lowell
Gates -- 5:30pm, Show -- 7pm

All Ages. Rain or Shine.
$40 / $36 advance / Children 8 & Under Admitted Free
General Admission seating

(All You Can Eat Barbecue Picnic from 5:30pm to 7:30pm available for $25)

Step #2 -- Take a picture of it.

Step #3 -- Send it in. You can email it (maximum file size: 1MB) or add it to the Flickr Contest Pool.

Note: Entries to be judged on their creativity and informativeness.

You have a good chance to win, if you're reading this!

I know there are a lot of creative people out there, but I have the feeling there may not even be a lot of entries.

It may have been difficult to find, but there are currently no images in the Flickr contest pool. Could I find any entries via Google Image Search? No...

Give it a shot! There's an example of something like this at the top. You can lie down next to the drawing for this effect.

Think about it, you potential Sidewalk Sam's -- Free Wilco concert tickets! Maybe 4 pairs of tickets! Get creative and sell them if you must.

If the forecast is correct, there might be a chance to create an entry in the next couple days...

The submission deadline is TUES 6/30.

SUN 6/28: Do You Make/Like Chili?

3pm
The Boston Chili Takedown
at Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston
FREE to enter / $10 all-you-can-eat / 18+

Do you want the masses to enjoy your chili -- and maybe win a prize...?

Email Matt for more details about chili entries.

5/6: Win Tix to Galactic

WED 5/6

8pm
Galactic, Opener TBD
at Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston (near BU)
FREE, if you're lucky / 21+

I pass this on, because I care... If you like to get funky and don't know Galactic, you need to listen to some music!

You could try to win by listening to WFNX, but calling in is too damn hard. If you have such a small chance, you might as well just fill in an online entry (ASAP) and hope. I entered...

Apparently there will be some kind of chance to win at these bars:

WED 4/29:
Whiskey's -- 6pm to 8pm

THUR 4/30:
Jose McIntyre's -- 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Goodbar -- 9pm to 11pm

FRI 5/1
The Place -- 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Keep an eye out for anyone handing out promo stuff or listen to the bar DJ...

Have a Harvard Sq Story? Can You Write One?

If you've ever written a short story set in Harvard Sq, you should send it in. You might win books and/or gift certificates from the Harvard Book Store.

Heck, you still have until 5pm on SAT 2/14 to write one. There's a 2,000-word maximum, but there's no minimum...

Stories must be original and previously unpublished works of short fiction.

The judges are Askold Melnyczuk, Bill Corbett, and Tahmima Anam.

The top three stories chosen by our panel will be published on Meeting House, and their authors will be invited to read their work at the February Winedown on THUR 2/27. If an author is unable to attend, his or her story will be read by one of the contest judges.