There's plenty of room for celebration on Heard Mentality this week. With weekend one of Coachella under our belts, we're already scrubbing ourselves off and re-sharpening our focus as we prepare for another foray into the sweaty badlands of Indio. We've also dusted off the 'ol free ticket giveaway! Yeah, it's been a little while since we've showered you with free stuff. But what a great week to pick it back up! 
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At this point, there's no denying that Santa Ana is officially the new OC headquarters for the Wu-Tang Clan. With Ghostface Killah and GZA both making his appearance last year, it seems only necessary that Method Man come through this weekend to christen the building for the first time. Arguably the most bombastic (and bong-bastic) personality in the group (aside from the late Ol' Dirty Bastard), Meth will no doubt put his gravelly, iconic flows to the test in front of an OC audience.

Of course, in addition to all of those classics from 1998's Tical 2000: Judgement Day (yeah we studied all 28 tracks back in the day), we're wringing our hands at the prospect of hearing some new joints from the forthcoming Crystal Meth album set for release this year, which has been billed as his last album produced by the RZA. And when Meth is in the building, there's always a possibility that Redman is somewhere waiting in the wings smoking a blunt, ready to make a cameo. In any event, you're gonna want to be there this weekend. We can help you with that. Find out how to score a pair of free tickets after the jump.

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Things are about to get really ratchet in Santa Ana. If there's one thing to know about the current trap music phenomenon, it's that Gucci Mane is the coldest motherfucker in the game. Or, at least the craziest. Dude got an ice cream cone tattooed on his face. So when we heard he was making the trip out to the Observatory this Friday, we wondered whether the building could withstand the ungodly amount of ass-twerking, 808 clapping insanity he's about to bring with him. On stage, he might not move around too much, but songs like "Icy" and "Supa Cocky" have a sole purpose of causing bonfide freakouts in the crowd. But there's much more to  Atlanta's insane, ice-wearing enigma than meets the eye. This tortured genius combines the old school gangsta mentality of Rick Ross, the Internet saturation of Lil B and the lyrical lunacy of 2Chainz.

Since 2005, the rapper born Radric Devonte Davis has made a sport of turning dance floors into sweaty, writhing dens of Southern style debauchery. If you haven't started polishing your platinum grills and ironing your fresh white tees, we suggest you do so. And for those of you who don't have your tickets yet we just might be able to help you out with a pair of free ones. Find out how to get 'em after the jump.

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For as much rollicking folk music as we seem to have in this here county, OC music fans definitely aren't opposed to checking out some imported banjo twanging. Especially when you add some fiery fretwork, sweet facial hair and flannel to the mix. So yeah, in that respect you could say Duluth, Minnesota quintet Trampled By Turtles will likely be met with open arms when their tour stops at the Observatory on Friday. Coming off a successful 2012, the band's ability to deliver bluegrass tunes and country whimsy with the moxie of a punk band resulted in a warm reception of albums like Palomino, and 2012's notably more mellow Stars and Satellites.

Celebrating their 10th anniversary as a band, the tour in support of the new album has us interested to see how much fire can still come from a band whose name Conan O'Brien described as "The most adorable way to die." Since we seem to be in an extraordinarily giving mood this week (yes, we were just offered you some free shit on this blog yesterday), we'd like a few Heard Mentality readers to grab some tickets to see TBT in the flesh on Friday night. Any takers? Details on our second giveaway of the week after the jump.

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Down will crush you! Seriously, bro.

Those looking to get 2013 off to a brutal, headbanging start had best focus their attention on Anaheim this month as nasty, New Orleans supergroup Down rides on Satan's chariot to the City National Grove of Anaheim. Five years after their previous release Down III: Over the Under, metal mogul and Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo returns to OC with new material to slap you across the face with. When we first got a taste of their latest EP, Down VI--The Purple EP, the single "Witchtripper" bore all the throat-shredding screams and devilish distortion we've come to expect from the unholy marriage of  Anselmo and members of Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and Eyehategod.

And if the name of their classically titled Weed and Speed Tour is any indication of the energy we can expect on stage, then we're expecting this to be the most hellified hessian gathering of the winter. If you were wondering whether or not its time to start rocking your sleeveless jacket again, this is the perfect occasion to dust it off and head over there. Wanna get in for free? Yeah, we can help with that.
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Regardless of genre, there's always that one band that manages to bring out the screaming teenage girl in all of us (that goes for you too, guys). For most music fans, one of the defining factors of the last five years has to be the reunion or resurgence of bands from the late 90s and early 00s who have wheedled their way into our brain's nostalgia file. Enter: The Starting Line. As one of pop punk's most adorable, well-coiffed East Coast acts, the Pennsylvania outfit gave us hum-along melodies and post-break up anthems for days.
 "The Best of Me"? Anyone remember that shit?

Anyways, since reuniting in 2009 after a brief hiatus, the band continues to fly their pop punk flag and this weekend, they're spending two back-to-back nights at the Glass House in Pomona. We happen to have some complimentary tickets to give away for Night 1 on Friday. To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their break out record "Say It Like You Mean It," the band will play the album in it's entirety. You interested? Yeah you are. Follow us after the jump.
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Though Orange County is certainly a long-time pit stop for the world's best DJs, it's apparent that the fresh-faced monarchs of the EDM world (we're talking barely allowed to legally drink, if at all) are also descending on our local scene in astonishing numbers. Though he's spent the last several years ruling Down Under, Australian trance DJ tyDi is slated to come through Sutra tomorrow (November 15) to earn a whole new swath of fans. With the success of his newly released single "Glow in the Dark" under his belt, the cherubic 25-year-old, born Tyson Illingworth, is prepared to show OC that his tracks are anything but child's play.

Most know him for his energetic live shows and a progressive dance feel that catapulted him to #48 on DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list. But most importantly, the guy always brings a party with him. After making a name for himself in Brisbane, Australia, he's unpacked his laptop beats in clubs throughout Russia, China, Malta and the U.S., playing to as many as 45,000 people. His O.C. stop promises to be one of the premiere EDM shows of the week. Want to get in for free? Find out how after the jump!
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Swedish House Mafia are truly a bunch of sell-outs. That's not a knock on them, though. What else do you call a group of DJs who sell out every single show on their farewell tour? Since the DJ trifecta of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso joined forces in 2008, it's safe to say they've really been an unavoidable force in the EDM world. Literally, their music is everywhere. On October 22, the group will release their swan song album, Until Now, highlighted by their single "Don't Worry Child" (featuring John Martin). Since announcing their hiatus in June, questions abound about whether or not the three of them will ever work together again. We've chosen to remain optimistic. After all, no one every really leaves the mafia--not even the Swedes. More »

In a realm where brutality, blast beats and barking vocals reign supreme, The Summer Slaughter Tour is still one of the few big summer shows in OC where metal heads can really let their hair down. Back again for its sixth year, headliner's Cannibal Corpse (who are about to celebrate 25 years of making your eardrums bleed), spearhead an enormous lineup including Between the Buried and Me, Job For A Cowboy, Exhumed, Goatwhore, and a slew of bands with equally epic names. And at a huge place like the City National  Grove of Anaheim, where mosh pits will have some room to breathe, you can bet the crowd for the last stop on this nation-wide tour will be swirling and sweating with energy. Who's ready to get their face pummeled during classic jams like "I Cum Blood"? Thought so.

We've for FIVE pairs of tickets to give away for the Summer Slaughter Tour at the City National Grove of Anaheim on Aug. 25. Find out how to get your hands on them after the jump! More »

Cappadonna

In keeping with Detroit Bar's long history of luring nearly every member of the Wu-Tang Clan through its doors, the club offers another evening of Golden Age rhymeslinging courtesy of long-time Wu-member, Cappadonna. The gruff, lyrically dexterous MC is rolling through Costa Mesa on Wednesday, June 6 along with a guest appearance by Curt Digga. Making his mark on the legendary hip-hop group since the mid-'90s, the man born Darryl Hill has as an inventive, oddball style to match his aliases (Don Knish, The Cab Driver, Diggler, and our favorite...Cappachino). With the release of last year's Pilgrimage, the Staten Island rapper continues to spread his Shaolin skills far and wide.

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