Listeners, if you were pumped for the Mars Volta show at the Disco Rodeo tonight, well unfortunately the show has been canceled. There is no official word on why the show has been canceled yet.  If you’re still looking for other awesome shows tonight to attend, be sure to check out our Rock Report.

Refunds will be available at point of purchase starting Monday, October 26.  Tickets purchased online or by phone will be refunded automatically. For more information go to www.livenation.com.

As most of our loyal listeners know, the Mars Volta show at the Disco Rodeo has been a highly coveted giveaway for the month of October. On several occasions, our deejays have feared the WKNC phone system would literally explode due to the high influx of callers. However, like a big bully tangling a nerdy kid’s lunch money over his head, many listeners have come away empty handed.

But don’t pick up the D&D dice or that Mountain Dew Code Red just yet. For the rest of the week, WKNC deejays will be giving away the last remaining pairs of the tickets to Mars Volta show on Friday October 23rd. For The Win!

The Mars Volta

Formed from the ashes of At the Drive-In, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez formed the Mars Volta a band committed to experimenting with a hardcore and psychedelic rock sound. Now on their fifth album, Octahedron, the boys plan to shake up Raleigh before heading out on their European tour.

Listen on 88.1 or streaming online for your chances to win!

Here are the shows happening this week that WKNC is giving tickets away to:

Monday, October 19:
Art Brut w/ Princeton and Ben Davis & The Jetts @ Cat’s Cradle

Art Brut

Wednesday October 21:
Sea Wolf w/ Port O’ Brien and Sarah Lov @ Nightlight – Presented by Cat’s Cradle

Sea Wolf

Dr. Dog and Jeffery Lewis @ Cat’s Cradle

Dr. Dog

Thursday, October 22:
Cartel w/ This Providence, The Summer Set and The Bigger Lights @ Lincoln Theatre

Cartel

Friday ,October 23:
NAPS (side project of Lonnie Walker) with  Tavo Carbone and Trevor Wilson @ Nightlight

The Mars Volta @ Disco Rodeo – Presented by Live Nation

The Mars Volta

Saturday October 24th:
Blount Harvey w/ Waylandsphere @ The Pour House

Electric Six w/ The Gay Blades and Millions of Brazilians @ Cat’s Cradle

Electric Six photo by Alicia Gbur

The Moaners w/ The Toddlers and Weatherkings @ Nightlight

The Moaners photo by Michael Triplett

Thursday w/ Fall of Troy, The Dear Hunter, and Midnight Masses @ Lincoln Theatre

Thursday

Be sure to listen in to 88.1 WKNC for your chance to win tickets!!

There are always lots of awesome shows going on in the Triangle, but October seems to be just stuffed full of them. Below is a limited preview of some of the hippest, hottest acts to catch this month.

WKNC gets a lot of praise for our weekly Local Beer Local Band series at Tir Na Nog, but a good chunk of the credit belongs to Chris Tamplin. Help thank Chris for putting up with us Thursday, Oct. 1 as Local Beer Local Band doubles as Chris’s Birthday Local Band Bash. Prabir and The Substitutes and Goner are on the bill and rumor has it there may be a magician.

The much anticipated Hear Here finale show is Saturday, Oct. 3 at The Pour House. Motorskills opens, followed by Inflowential and The Love Language. Tickets are not available in advance so be sure to get there when doors open at 8 p.m. Once inside $5 will get you a copy of the Hear Here CD; there are less than 90 shopping days before Christmas so feel free to stock up.

St. Vincent was one of the hottest groups on 88.1 this summer. They open for Andrew Bird Wednesday, Oct. 7 and Thursday, Oct. 8. at the Cat’s Cradle. Both nights are sold out. If you aren’t one of the lucky ticket holders, personal favorites Everclear play Oct. 8 at the Lincoln Theatre.

Saturday, Oct. 10 is I Was Totally Destroying It’s release party for Horror Vacui at the Cat’s Cradle. The $7 advance and $10 door prices include a copy of the CD. If that isn’t enough to get you there, how about supporting bands Lonnie Walker, Des Ark, Rat Jackson and Lake Inferior?

Baltimore-based J. Roddy Walston and the Business is one of those bands you love as though they were native sons. Mike Roy joins them for their CD release party Wednesday, Oct. 14 at The Pour House.

Berkley Café hosts Lonnie Walker, Goner and Gray Young on Friday, Oct. 16. Try not to rock so hard you miss Luego’s CD release party Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Local 506. The Tomahawks and The Huguenots will be there too.

Raleigh’s Cherry Bounce Music Festival starts Sunday, Oct. 18 and runs throughout the week at various local venues. I’ve been sworn to secrecy about the line-up, but I can tell you to tune in to Local Lunch on Thursday to find out more.

Experimental prog rockers The Mars Volta invade the Disco Rodeo on Friday, Oct. 23. They’ll be in Charlotte the day before if you’re a really big fan.

A bunch of KNC staff saw Charlotte’s Benji Hughes in April and they’re still talking about it. See him for yourself as he performs with The Light Pines Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Local 506.

Fridays on the Lawn continue Friday, Oct. 30 with Max Indian and Schooner. It’s a totally free show on Harris Field, right in front of our radio home in the Witherspoon Student Center (corner of Cates Ave and Dan Allen Drive) at N.C. State. WKNC and the Union Activities Board put on the show with support from Student Government and the Inter-residence Council.

Check out WKNC’s Rock Report for more shows and feel free to leave comments about who’s on your to see list for October.

It’s Shack-a-thon on the NCSU Brickyard, so be sure to stop by and visit WKNC’s radio shack. You’ll also want to keep an ear on 88.1 for these freebies.

Sometimes we get cool giveaways from Live Nation and sometimes we get REALLY cool giveaways. Consider The Mars Volta in the second category. It’s a win-it-before-you-can-buy-it deal to see the experimental/progressive band Oct. 23 at the Disco Rodeo. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. exclusively at LiveNation.com if you don’t happen to be one of our lucky winners.

Other cool giveaways on tap this week include:

• Holy Ghost Tent Revival with House of Fools Sept. 23 at The Pour House
• Mae Sept. 24 at Cat’s Cradle

And you don’t need tickets to see The Future Kings of Nowhere this Thursday for WKNC’s Local Beer Local Band night at Tir Na Nog or I Was Totally Destroying It and Luego as we kick off Fridays on the Lawn.