Calexico‘s seven-date December tour broaches some of the most serious social issues facing citizens on either side of the US – Mexico border today. Accompanying them on these dates will be representatives from several organizations including Humane Borders and Music for America raising awareness about humanitarian issues stemming from border and immigration policies.

So, the contest, you ask? What of the contest? Well, we’d like for you to help Calexico spread the news and bring people out to the shows by telling everyone you know about the events. The following is a list of things you can do to help. Every time you complete one of the opportunities from the list, you’ll be entered to win two tickets to the Calexico show nearest you, a copy of World Drifts In (Live at the Barbican) DVD, and a vintage Calexico tour poster. In other words, the more you do, the more likely you’ll be to win.

If you don’t live in any of the cities covered by the tour, don’t worry! You can still enter the contest and participate in spreading the word. See below.

1) Write your local newspaper, radio station and/or television station and tell them about the event. Ask them if they’d be willing to help by publishing an announcement about the event to inform your community. Send a copy of the letter to us at contest@tgrec.com or

Calexico Contest – Quarterstick Records
PO Box 25542
Chicago, IL 60625

2) Repost this bulletin including a personal message to your friends. Then post a comment on our myspace page (myspace.com/tgqs) saying that you’ve done so.

3) Post this message on your personal blog (non-myspace blogs) and send the direct link to contest@tgrec.com .

Calexico Tour Dates:

12/02/06 – Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ w/ Annuals
12/03/06 – Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM w/ Annuals
12/04/06 – Orpheum, Flagstaff, AZ w/ Annuals
12/05/06 – The Clubhouse, Tempe, AZ w/ Annuals
12/07/06 – Soho Restaurant, Santa Barbara, CA w/ The Broken West

“Two of the underground rock scene’s most creative artists perform. Critical darling and indie rock sensation Sufjan Stevens brings his orchestral folk/pop to the stage in support of his latest album The Avalanche. Highlighting its latest record, Garden Ruin, Arizona’s Calexico dazzles with a unique blend of traditional songcraft and southwestern roots music.”

-from Austin City Limits on PBS.org

Check your local listings.

After a busy year of touring the States and Europe, Calexico has announced several new tour dates in December to round out the year!

Dec 2 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre (w/ Annuals)
Dec 3 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad (w/ Annuals)
Dec 4 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre (w/ Annuals)
Dec 5 – Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse (w/ Annuals)
Dec 7 – Santa Barbara @ SOHO Restaurant and Music Club
Dec 8 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore (supporting Los Lobos)
Dec 9 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore (supporting Los Lobos)

The Tucson show on December 2nd continues Calexico’s annual tradition of throwing a year-end hometown benefit concert. A portion of the proceeds will go to KXCI-FM, a local community sponsored radio station. Proceeds will also go to Humane Borders, who along with other organizations like No More Deaths and Border Angels, offers humanitarian assistance to those in need through more than 70 emergency water stations on and near the U.S.- Mexican border, ultimately trying to quell the hundreds of deaths every year in the Arizona desert due to dehydration.

Calexico has been hailed as a border band, transcending boundaries and genres with their unique blend of US and Latin style. Politically, the band feels just as strongly about the people of the region as they do the sounds. Joey Burns explains; “The issue is a complex one, and now with President Bush signing the bill that would build a massive wall between the two countries, the problems will undoubtedly become more severe and horrifying.”

A representative from Humane Borders will be at all Calexico’s headlining Southwestern shows to answer questions or provide insight into their cause. Also, the tour as a whole will be presented in association with Music for America, an organization connecting concert-goers with social justice organizations and political issues they might not be aware of, both nationally and in their area.

The last two shows on the tour bring Calexico back to the lovely Fillmore Theater in San Francisco, supporting one of their favorite groups, Los Lobos. “They have long been a musical inspiration, covering so many different styles of music, utilizing eclectic instrumentation and providing some of the most memorable concerts. Although we’ve played many festivals together like Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits, this will be the first time that we share the same stage and venue together,” says Burns. “I can’t think of a better way to round out the year than to play two shows with Los Lobos. I am sure that both sets each night will be completely different and who knows what musical collaborations may unfold between the two bands and musical friends from the area.”

For more information on the organizations and issues mentioned above, check out the following links:

Humane Borders

Music for America
Tucson Author Charles Bowden’s recent feature about border crossing issues in Mother Jones Magazine
Special online pre-sale for the Southwest shows begins this Saturday at calexico.ducatking.com – Each ticket purchased here comes with a free MP3 download of an unreleased acoustic version of ‘Deep Down’.

Headlining tickets go on sale to the general public October 14th, and tickets for the dates with Los Lobos are already on sale.

This 4 song EP is an iTunes exclusive! Released on 9/12/06. Buy it!

Tracks:

1. Roka (iTunes version)
2. Bisbee Blue (iTunes version)
3. Guns of Brixton (iTunes version)
4. Return To Spring (iTunes version)