So, the Death Cab for Cutie/Harvey Danger benefit show at the Showbox sold out in like, minutes, leaving many fans empty handed and heartbroken. But all hope’s not lost, because you now have a chance to put pen to paper and WIN some FREE tickets to the Sept 21st show in an essay contest!

All the important details can be found here (or below), and submissions must be received by this coming Sunday, September 18th, which is the very same day Harvey Danger just so happens to be playing an in-store performance at Sonic Boom Records in Ballard at 6 pm.

Good luck everyone!

Announcing an Essay Contest to Win A Pair of Tickets to DCfC/Harvey Danger Showbox Show on September 21

Hello, friends. Because the Death Cab for Cutie/Harvey Danger Benefit for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina (September 21 at the Showbox) sold out so quickly, we wanted to offer fans of the bands a second chance to get their hands on some tickets. And on account of the show's sad occasion, we figured it'd be appropriate if the contest were somewhat reflective in nature. Plus, hey, if any bill in the history of rock'n'roll could inspire an essay contest, it must be this one.

THE CONTEST
Write an essay of no more than 1,000 words based on the topic below. The winner receives a pair of tickets to the show. Submissions are due no later than 6pm Sunday, September 18 (that's this coming Sunday). They should be delivered in person to the Harvey Danger in-store at the Ballard Sonic Boom (2209 NW Market St. in Seattle), which commences Sunday at 5pm. Entries can also be e-mailed to essay@harveydanger.com, but hard-copy printouts will be read first.

•Essays will be judged on originality, specificity, logic, and conviction. Spelling totally counts. So does brevity; if the essay is so much as one word longer than the allotted 1,000, please don't bother turning it in.

•Each entry must be labeled AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAST PAGE with the name, phone number, e-mail address, and age of the writer.

•All contestants must be 21 or older, and we will check I.D. before handing the tickets over. (Sorry, but it's a 21+ show...)

•Submissions will be judged by a panel of celebrity musicians, journalists, and impresarios. They will not be returned. They will be read and respected.

•A winner will be announced Tuesday at 6pm at harveydanger.com. The winning writer will receive two tickets to the show. (The tickets aren't comps, either. We paid full price for them.)

THE TOPIC:
Given the surge in political outspokenness during the last presidential election, and the huge outpouring of benefit activity surrounding Hurricane Katrina and last year's tsunami in SE Asia, what do you think of the way artists, especially bands/singers/rappers et al, respond to such situations? How does it affect your appreciation of the music and the musicians? What is the relationship between art and activism, or better yet, what should it be? (1,000 words or less.)