The 24th annual Sammies ceremony is still nearly three weeks away (Thursday, March 24 at Ace of Spades in case you forgot), but before we draw to the finish there’s still some business to take care of–namely voting and checking out some bands.

Voting ends this Monday, March 7. Visit www.sammies.com to cast your virtual ballots.

Then, in the week leading up to the big show, you’ll have the chance to check out various local nominees at showcases being held around town. By the way, all the shows are free.

First up: Saturday, March 19 there’s a free block party with Sammies hall-of-famer James Cavern and Soosh*E. It’s a double EP release show and takes place at 12th and R Streets.

Then, Sunday, March 20 head over to Goldfield (1630 J Street) for a showcase with J. Kraken, Cam, I Am Strikes, Tell the Wolves (pictured) and Once an Empire. Starts at 8 p.m.

Next up, Monday, March 21 at Pour House (1910 Q Street) with The Pressure Lounge, Rebecca Peters, Jayson Angove, Hans, Dinorah and Xochitl. Doors are 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.

On Tuesday, March 22, the showcase takes place at the Blue Lamp (1900 Alhambra Boulevard) with Luke Tailor, Brutha Smith, Recorded Freedom and the Beatknocks. Doors are 8 p.m., show is at 9 p.m. 

There’ll also be a slew of open mics around town, stay tuned for more details.

In the meantime, be sure to get those Sammies tickets–on the cheap. Admission is $10 but if you head over to SN&R’s Sweetdeals site you can snap some up for just $5 each.

Confirmed acts for the show include Sea of Bees, MerryGold and Zyah Belle. See you there.