It’s giveaway time, and OffBeat and the House of Blues are at it again. Except this time, the stakes are higher… We’re throwing down a pair of balcony tickets for both Steve Earle’s show on Friday, October 12 and John Hiatt’s show next Wednesday, October 17 ($300 value). To enter into the drawing, simply fill out the form below anytime between now and Friday morning at noon. The lucky winner will be announced Friday afternoon.

Fill out the form below to win tickets to see Steve Earle and John Hiatt at the House of Blues.

Fans of HBO’s Treme should recognize the Americana Outlaw, Earle, as Harley Watt, the busking partner of Lucia Micarelli’s Annie, who was murdered during a mugging as the pair walked home in Season 2. Treme fans may also recognize Earle’s Grammy and Emmy nominated song “This City,” which closed Season 1. A disciple of the legendary songman Townes Van Zant, Earle defiant’s 1986 debut Guitar Town set his storied career in motion. The video below from the 1981 Outlaw Country documentary Heartworn Highways captures a young, twenty-something Earle performing “Mercenary Song.” Earle would later release the song on 1995’s Train a Comin’, a turning-point album for him, which he recorded following a drug-related, year-long prison stint.
 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHE1dM4hYCw[/youtube]

 
An outlaw in his own right, criminally underrated songwriter John Hiatt has also enjoyed a prolific career. Though one could argue against proclaiming Hiatt the greatest songwriter of his generation, he is the only artist (to my knowledge) to have a tune covered by Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop and Dr. Feelgood — as well as one Steve Earle — which (in my book) makes him irrefutably the most badass songsmith of all time. New Orleans favorites, the Neville Brothers also covered Hiatt; his song “Washable Ink” appeared on the group’s eponymous 1978 debut. Louisiana music fans should be familiar with Hiatt for his association with slide guitar master Sonny Landreth, who served in Hiatt’s longtime backing band the Goners. Here’s a vintage clip of John Hiatt and the Goners performing “Radio Girl” in Germany in 1987.
 

Enjoy and remember to fill out the form for you chance to win!

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