Scattered. And: Win tickets!

A friend of Sound Effects, an awesome local band called Shepherdess is opening up for Beirut this Saturday -- they should be in the top slot, on about an hour or so after the doors open, so give it a shot at getting there early. You can sample some music here.

Secondly, a shout out to Jerry from the Black Keys-approved Black Swans, who are in Somerville on the 19th of September. Jerry is a friend of local musician Chris Brokaw; he wrote in recently to talk about the gig.

Lastly. The contest. It's very simple. Be one of the first three people to answer the following question, and you win a pair of tickets to catch Entrain on a Blues and Rock Cruise, departing from Boston Harbor on Sept. 1. When you've got an answer, drop me an email.

Here we go: Which c-list celebrity also wrote the theme to "Diff'rent Strokes" and "The Facts of Life"?

Here's the fine print: No purchase necessary. Contest ends August 29th, 2006. Three winners randomly chosen from all submissions will be selected to receive two tickets to the Entrain Rock and Blues concert cruise, on September 1st at 7:30 PM. Retail value: $50. Winners will be notified via e-mail or phone on or before 3:00 PM (EST) on August 30th, 2005. Due to the time sensitivity of this prize, the winner must reply by 10:00 AM on August 31st, or an alternate winner may be selected. Employees of the participating partners and the New York Times Company and their affiliates are not eligible to participate. Only one entry per person. Anyone using an automated method of submission will be disqualified. Void where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.