Three Imaginary Girls - Death Cab for Cutie

Photoessay: opening day(s) of Sasquatch! at the Gorge, part II

imaginary victoria — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:07:04 +0000

{This is part two of our opening day coverage of this year's Sasquatch! music festival at the Gorge -- click here to take a peek at part one!}

Our first full day at Sasquatch! kept rolling strong, with a big-guitar kick-ass set from Sharon van Etten, which shifted flawlessly over to an intimate solo performance from J. Mascis on the Yeti stage. The noise kept coming with the simultaneously loud/pretty sounds of Wye Oak, after which we changed gears to take on the upbeat, alt.indie.powerpop-ish party of Matt & Kim -- what a blast! The fading sun brought a powerful, dusky mainstage set from Bright Eyes, and we welcomed the night with an impressive (albeit late) performance from Robyn on the Bigfoot stage.

Closing out the night with a local flourish, hometown faves Death Cab for Cutie took us out well into the dark with a killer mainstage performance that spanned an impressive portion of their current and back catalog. Photos below!

Sharon van Etten:

Sneak peek: our picks for mind-melters at Sasquatch 2011

imaginary victoria — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:48:04 +0000

It's high time we started scouring the schedule and getting that backlog of laundry done -- because this year's Sasquatch festival up at the Gorge is upon us, and we'll be heading up there for the long Memorial Day weekend (including Friday) to report back the best of what's good. Here's a blow-by-blow of what's really blasting some emotional sunshine into the damp, grey corners of our Seattle springtime:

Monday's main stage shows are going to kick serious ass. Starting with the finish line: the day will wrap up with a full frontal dose of Wilco on a stage warmed up by the Decemberists, a win-win for a variety of tastes. Prior to that, the throwback sounds of Best Coast will be assaulting us from the Yeti stage, and before that we'll shoot over to the Bigfoot stage to catch the sweet, smiling-but-melancholy sounds of Stornoway. All this and a bag of goodies after starting off our morning (at 1pm) with the Young Evils, and the first appearance at the main stage for the day to catch Mr. Miller and the rest of the Old 97's. Monday will be full of big guitars, upbeat jangle-pop, swoontastic harmonies, and hopefully, lots and lots of sunshine to go along with the vibe.

The 2011 Sasquatch bill is un-frack-withable

imaginary liz — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:28:28 +0000

{Sasquatch photo by asclepius6 from the Imaginary Flickr Photo Pool}

Do you hear that?

It is the sound of folks feverishly tweeting and posting about the amazing #Sasquatch line-up just announced. After weeks (who are we kidding, months!) of mathematically calculating probabilities based on tour schedules and record release dates, we finally have a firm answer of who's going to be at the Gorge this Memorial Day weekend, as well as explanations as to why certain folks don't have a Seattle tour date in the next few months.

Not to sound like everyone else every other year, but this year's line-up has left me speechless. The Sasquatch folks have brought together the best of the best of the best (except Allo Darlin, which I'm guessing will be begged to participate next year) to celebrate their 10th Anniversary. I mean Wilco, Bright Eyes, Matt & Kim, The Radio Dept., The Thermals, Stornoway, and The Young Evils!?!?!? You're killing me!!!

Are you headed that way? Who are you most excited about (mine bolded below)? Anyone else you think is going to be added to the bill before we pack up our roadtrip munchies and head Quincy, WA way?

Ben Gibbard + Teen Feed = success!

imaginary victoria — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:33:22 +0000

By now, you're heard the reports on Ben Gibbard's show at the Crocodile on Wednesday night: it was pretty much an epic event. The set list killed. The room was packed. Some people liked the hat, some people didn't. Yes, Zooey Deschanel made an appearance at the end. (And yes, it was basically the most adorable thing ever.) Since you've likely already seen the unauthorized video content -- the first three rows aren't texting in this photo, they're all taping the night for posterity on their iPhones -- and thus heard the details on the new songs (the one about the Smith Tower brought a tear to our respective eye -- we can't wait to see if it shows up on the new album!) as well as the Zooey-duets, we'd like to talk to you a little more about the benefit details, and what an amazing success it was.

If you'll notice there in the background, you'll see the Teen Feed banner -- that's the organization that Ben's performance was a benefit for, and at last count, the ticket and merch sales brought in over ten thousand dollars that went directly to the organization. Ten thousand dollars! To put that into scale, the Noise for the Needy benefits that ran for Teen Feed earlier this year wound up netting them twenty-five thousand dollars -- and with that amount of money, Teen Feed was able to go from feeding youth six nights a week to seven nights a week, meaning they could literally function three hundred and sixty-five nights a year. So, on the scale of operating an organization, while ten thousand dollars might seem like a drop in the bucket, the folks over at Teen Feed are able to take funding in that amount and basically turn it into absolute above-and-beyond amazingness. In fact, we're convinced that Megan Gibbard is made out of magic.

Teen Feed: an imaginary interview with Megan Gibbard

imaginary victoria — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:32:38 +0000

Odds are, if you're here at Three Imaginary Girls poking around, you've heard of Ben Gibbard. And if you're in the greater Seattle area, you've definitely heard about the sold-out show coming up this Wednesday at the Crocodile. (And if you're like us, you might be acting half your age and figuring out just how early you have to get to the venue to secure a spot up front.) But what you may not be as familiar with is the beneficiary of the night, Teen Feed -- so, we thought we'd sit right down with their Executive Director and find out all about it for you.

Imaginary Victoria: So, let's have a little background on the who-what-and-where...

Megan Gibbard: Of course. Teen Feed is a 7-night-a-week meal program for homeless youth ages 13 – 25. Every single night, from 7-8pm, we serve up to 70 youth a healthy and safe meal – it very well may be the first time that day they’ve been safe. Teen Feed is more than just this meal, however. Present at every Teen Feed meal are our Case Managers (we call them Support Coordinators) to build relationships with youth, share a meal, and help with resources and encouragement. Our Street Talk Outreach Program (STOP) meets youth directly on the streets, in their environment, before they're even ready to ask for help.

Teen Feed works with the community to offer basic needs, build strong relationships, and ally with homeless youth as they met their future off the streets. We achieve our mission through three main initiatives: meals, outreach, and case management. It is difficult to go to school when you’re hungry. It is difficult to succeed at work when you aren’t sure where your next meal will come from. So, the food always comes first at Teen Feed – then, we get down to the business of working alongside youth as they find that path from the streets.

I recently spoke with a woman who was homeless on the Ave in the early 1990’s at the age of 13. She said that she had a moment, a watershed, when she realized that she needed to get off the streets and start pursuing college. Teen Feed was right there to help her when she needed it. Teen Feed is important because all people need to be fed – and every youth on the streets needs safe adults right there with they’re ready to ask for help.

This same woman spoke in front of 150 Teen Feed volunteers recently and said:

“I look at my husband, and he’s a lot like his parents. I look at my children, and they’re a lot like him and I. I look at myself, and I’m a lot like all of you.”

Death Cab for Cutie to perform "Don't You (Forget About Me)" this Friday

imaginary liz — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:13:09 +0000

If you find yourself home this Friday night (January 15), tune into the Critics' Choice Movie Awards on VH1. The awards show is going to feature a much-deserved John Hughes Tribute and our very own Death Cab for Cutie will be one of the bands participating. Word on the street is that they will be covering the Simple Minds song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" {The Breakfast Club}.

What song do you want to hear covered? Something from Ferris Bueller's Day Off would be so choice.

listmania continues: keenan's top 20 favorite albums of the decade

imaginary keenan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:27:46 +0000

{Long Winters photo by Trickshot Photography}

Because I'm some kind of masochist and a total nerd, I've been slaving over this list, keeping it brief (harder than you'd think!) at my favorite 20 albums of the decade without duplicating a band (even harder). Side note: I've probably forgotten something I really, really love, so let's just call this how I feel right this minute. These are the albums I know every note and breath of by heart and I love as complete albums with all of my soul. These are albums that in my humble opinion have no skipable track and are works of beauty in their entirety. I'd also like to point out that these are my favorite albums, as I tend to shy away from calling them "the best", as really, it's just my opinion, and who am I to tell you that you're wrong for not liking these records? (Though, if you catch me in a potentially altered state, I may completely negate that and call any number of these THE GREATEST of all time and call you wrong to your face if you disagree.) I digress. Here they are!

Death Cab for Cutie in the Park

imaginary victoria — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:11:48 +0000

19 Jul 2009

nick_is_awesome.jpg

The recent Death Cab for Cutie show at Marymoor was, in one word, amazing. Combine the gorgeous summertime drive to Redmond, the grassy knolls, the impeccable soundsystem, and the energy of these spectacular bands -- and you've got a one-of-a-kind warm-weather blissy magic night that concert postcards are made out of.

Traffic kept uber-photogress Laura Musselman and I from seeing the bulk of Ra Ra Riot's opening set, although we did hear their clean, sweet vocals wafting out over the fields as we made our way into the venue. Marymoor is thoughfully laid out, with pathways and raised areas to spread out picnics in the back of the show area, and a sunken 'floor' leading up to the stage for a close-up view of the show. As a result, the sold-out crowd never once felt like it overtook the spaces it occupied, and there was plenty of room in the front of the house to take in the view and the sound of the performers. It was my first time seeing a show there, and I was pleasantly surprised all-around.

Skeptical as I was about seeing the New Pornographers without Neko Case -- as were many folks I talked with prior to the show -- I've got to take space to make it abundantly clear that they were absolutely fantastic. Over the forty minutes or so that they played, each song came through with energy, style, and hipster-proof foot-tapping contagiousness. Laura noted that they really did a great job showcasing songs that complemented their strengths, instead of trying to cover up the fact that Neko wasn't there. I don't think I can explain it any better than that.

After a what seemed like only a few minutes of changeover, the lights all shifted, and we were suddenly thrown into Death Cab's set with abandon -- but a good kind of suddenly, like someone had gone from fourth to fifth on a car that was streaming down a gorgeous movie-scene highway. I looked around in amazement at the scenery, slack-jawed by the quality of the sound system, blown away at the energy that was pouring off the stage. Every single moment was tremendous, right from the literal opening up-notes of Ben Gibbard's voice crooning the first lines of Marching Bands of Manhattan.

The set list was perfect, weaving us in and out of recent releases, cassette-originals, and a sampling of tracks in-between -- it was a great cross-section of their work:

Marching Bands of Manhattan
New Year
Why You'd Want to Live here
Crooked Teeth
No Sunlight
Company Calls
Summer Skin
Grapevine Fires
I Will Possess Your Heart
I Will Follow You into the Dark [Ben solo]
Title & Registration
Cath
Little Bribes
Pictures in an Exhibition
Expo '86
Sound of Settling
--
Brothers in a Hotel Bed
405
Soul Meets Body
Transatlanticism

Serving better than any adjective this writer could choose, the insanely talented Laura Musselman captured some stunning shots from both nights of shows, which she's graciously shared with us in the imaginary flickr pool. Here's just a few from Sunday's set:

Combine the gorgeous summertime drive to Redmond, the grassy knolls, the impeccable soundsystem, and the energy of these spectacular bands -- and you've got a one-of-a-kind warm-weather blissy magic night that concert postcards are made out of.

Death Cab for Cutie to release EP in 2009... "I think."

imaginary victoria — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:00:46 +0000

Four previously unheard tracks are on the way! Soon-ish!

Merge's SCORE unleashes brilliant covers comp

imaginary keenan — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:22:00 +0000

Merge has done it again! For their 20th anniversary, a part of the brilliant subscriber only compilation series SCORE, the Chapel Hill label (run by none other than members of my favorite indie rock band, Superchunk) is releasing a compilation of covers of Merge bands by a ton of non-Merge artists.

New DCfC video by Walter Robot, and some minty-fresh tour dates!

imaginary victoria — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:58:33 +0000

Animated short film for "Grapevine Fires," a pinch of Obama, and a US tour gets underway in April.

Starbucks releases Valentine's Day comp details (super secret?)

imaginary victoria — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:08:24 +0000

Sweet songs from some of our fave artists!

Hear that? It's the collective "Nooooooooooo!" of indie-rock girls everywhere...

Imaginary Mimi — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:07:10 +0000

It is said she was "swept off her feet" by his proposal. No date or plan has been announced to date.

Deck the Hall Ball 2008

imaginary chona — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:11:55 +0000

9 Dec 2008

DSC_2611.jpg

Aqueduct opened up the night, with David Terry greeting the audience in his jovial, well mannered way. He seemed even bubblier than I remembered in the past, repeated asking the audience “Are you ready to rock?!” and even giving a shout out to his coworkers at “TNS”, a video game designing firm. I seldom give much thought to the lives of rock stars outside the context of a stage, so it was a fun bit of trivia learning that Terry makes a living geeking out.

Shiny Toy Guns really loves 107.7. The last time I saw them was at another event of The End's- End Fest 2007 (TIG coverage). The dynamic shared between the two lead singers of the band and the Sisely Treasure's raw energy certainly revved the crowd up for next act, Cold War Kids.

I'm a really big fan of Cold War Kids, and this set wrapped out painfully fast for me. The soulful, full chested warble of lead singer Nathan Willett seemed as powerful as ever as he carried the set on through crowd favorites/singles “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Something is Not Right With Me”.

Oh Death Cab, the darlings of all that is Seattle indie rock. I literally had to triple take as Ben Gibbard took the stage, and it wasn't until he glanced in my direction that I realized it was him. Looking at least 25 pounds thinner and sans trademark horn rimmed specs, he looked like an entirely different person. I had recently read about a funny (probably not that funny) blog post on DCFC's website involving a pair of pants and a scorpion and quietly laughed to myself.

Death Cab put on a beautiful set, there was no doubt in my mind as I looked back from the photo pit at the front row of youngsters in the front row that Death Cab has changed the lives of many. It was a beautiful thing.

None but the the band's exclusive photographer was allowed to shoot the Killers, but I can tell you that they rocked out an exquisitely prepared stage, complete with little skeleton figures, lights and palm trees. Enigmatic frontman Brandon Flowers strutted the stage, donning his feather laden blazer; his charisma clearly captivating the audience. Great success 107.7, year after year Deck the Hall Ball never ceases to disappoint.

{more photos on the Three Imaginary Girls Flickr Pool}

***** Aqueduct *****

*****Shiny Toy Guns*****

*****Cold War Kids*****

*****Death Cab for Cutie*****

Featuring Death Cab for Cutie, Cold War Kids, Aqueduct, and Shiny Toy Guns.

DCfC sneak-peek-a-rama from last night's show

imaginary victoria — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:11:18 +0000

The Killers, DCfC, Cold War Kids, Shiny Toy Guns & Aqueduct blew it the ____ up!

Death Cab for Cutie: Grammy nods for local boys

imaginary victoria — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:29:28 +0000

Don't you love saying "local" in this context? I do.

DCfC re-release today with live Crocodile show recording! Holy ____.

imaginary victoria — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:51:22 +0000

Am I the only one having a heart attack???

Two week notice: new-old DCfC "classic" drops on 11/25

imaginary victoria — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:15:54 +0000

Just in time for gratuitous repeat playback in a tryptophan haze, the lovelies over at Barsuk have decided to grace us with this.

Rock Stage Fashion: To Flannel or Not

Jeanine Anderson — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 23:01:25 +0000

Is the flannel shirt working for you, Ben?

Last night in Everett: Death Cab and Neil Young {photo mania}

imaginary liz — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:45:27 +0000

Laura Musselman, photographer extraordinaire, made her way to Everett last night to spend some time with Neil and the Death Cab boys. We haven't heard any reports on how the show was, but the pictures tell the story that it was pretty fab.