by Wm. Steven Humphrey Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT! • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Ta-Nehisi Coates on October 22 at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall! Win a pair of tickets to see Ta-Nehisi Coates in conversation with Omar El Akkad on October 22 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The winner will receive 2x VIP tickets in the front of the hall, plus a copy of Coate’s new book The Message, his first nonfiction book in nearly a decade. Get your tickets now, or enter to win here! Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Tues Oct 22, 7:30 pm, $25-$90, all ages • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Haley Heynderickx on October 19 at Aladdin Theater! Indie-folk songwriter Haley Heynderickx sold out three shows in Portland last spring — don’t miss a chance to see her once more when she visits the Aladdin for two nights! Friday is already sold out, so get your tickets now for the Saturday night show, or enter to win here! Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, Sat Oct 19, 8 pm, $25, all ages • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Ebo Taylor + Pat Thomas on May 10 at Revolution Hall! Two Ghanaian music legends unite! Guitarist, composer and bandleader Ebo Taylor joins highlife / afrobeat pioneer Pat Thomas for an evening of soul-stirring African rhythms and melodies. Get your tickets now, or enter to win here! Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, Sat May 10, 8 pm, $36, all ages • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Sprints on October 16 at Aladdin Theater! Transforming pain into truth and perseverance into strength, Dublin four-piece Sprints shares abrasive punk-rock from their cathartic debut, Letter To Self! Get your tickets now, or enter to win here! Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, Wed Oct 16, 8 pm, $20, all ages • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see The Red Pears on October 20 at Polaris Hall!What started as a roiling, fuzzed-out garage band has grown into a polished alt-rock trio — catch The Red Pears once more when they return to Polaris! Get your tickets now, or enter to win here! Polaris Hall, 635 N Killingsworth Ct, Sun Oct 20, 8 pm, $25, all ages GOOD LUCK! Winners will be notified on Monday. Check back next week for more FREE TIX from the Mercury!