Austinist Show Preview & Giveaway: Mates of State & Black Joe Lewis at Emo's

Happy fun-time Mates of State deliver their carousing popstar status to Emo's Outside this Friday night, in what is sure to be a rollicking good time of dancing and cheering and drinking fruit-flavored beverages. Using cooing dual vocalists, Mates of State have carved themselves a nice little pocket next to the likes of Los Campesinos!, New Pornographers, and Architecture in Helsinki, and they may be the best of the genre. Burgeoning breakthrough hit "My Only Offer," from their just-released album Re-Arrange Us, is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Opening up will be the explosion that is Black Joe Lewis, one of Austin's finest blues and soul revivalists. With lyrics like "You can make a Black Joe blue," along with a palpable passion and an awareness of how he fits in the long and illustrious history of blues and soul music, Lewis and his band are always a good ticket, and provide an interesting juxtaposition to the purely modern pop that takes the stage after they're finished. Not only that, but he's endorsed by Barack Obama.

Starting the night off is Headlights, a Champaign, Illinois pop outfit influenced by sixties girl pop, and their sweet sound is balanced by a respect for the old school of catchiness and hip-shaking. They are a band who are still on their way up, as their sound (and use of the xylophone!!) deepens and becomes richer with each new song that finds their MySpace page. Altogether, it's a compelling concert, with two unabashedly pop acts sandwiching the blues, and it's sure to be a good one.

We're giving away a pair of tickets to the show, but that isn't all: win this contest and participate in a Meet & Greet with Kori Gardner and Jason Hammell before the show. Follow the jump for the contest form and more information.