Three Imaginary Girls - Recommended shows

Recommended show + free tickets: American Film Week at NWFF

imaginary victoria — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:56:12 +0000

There's a great selection of films going on at the Northwest Film Forum next week (well, there's always good stuff at the NWFF, if you want to get technical about it) that we wanted to make sure you were hip to. It's called American Film Week, and it's running in the spirit of a mini- / non-festival: a series of "bold American films, offering you just one choice a night." Brilliant!

We're particularly excited about Fever Year, a documentary about the grueling of Andrew Bird's 165-date tour, and Bombay Beach, a "rich and emotional portrait of the lives of some of California's absolute poorest" with a musical score by Zach Condon {best known for directing many a Beirut video} -- but the whole week is worth a visit, so much so that we're giving away a pair of passes to the entire run of screenings.

Sabrina Chap takes over Seattle this weekend/week! (and releases an album with your help)

Imaginary Amie — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:38:52 +0000

Doesn't this photo say, "Fuckyeah, I'm awesome!"? Photo by: Dave Sanders

So last year around this same time, I discovered an album called Oopma by lovely, honey-voiced Sabrina Chap - and I'm pleased to announce that she's coming back to Seattle with a week full of shows! Burlesque, caberet, piano-playing, crooning - you name it, Sabrina is doing it. Man oh man, I love this woman! She's currently cooking up her new album, We Are the Parade, and could use a some dollas to help finish it up and get it out the door. I'm a sucker for kickstarter campaigns, so I donated. You too?

{Ed. note: Sabrina decided to share a song from her new album so y'all could hear what's next, so we switched out the track!} Ms. Chap generously offered up a preview of some of her new stuff for our imaginary readers! Take a listen to this track from We Are the Parade:

<a href="http://threeimaginarygirls.bandcamp.com/track/we-are-the-parade" _cke_saved_href="http://threeimaginarygirls.bandcamp.com/track/we-are-the-parade">We Are the Parade by Sabrina Chap</a>

So to recap: track down a copy of Oompa and mix up some Manhattans, take a listen to one of her new tracks, throw a few bucks her way if you dig it, and take your pick from any of the shows below to bask in the Sabrina goodness.

Feb. 10th, 11th &12th
That's F*cked Up 3!
Burlesque as you've never seen it...
ReBar
Doors @7pm | Show @8pm

{complete show listings after the jump}

Totally legit: Sasquatch! 2012 lineup announced

imaginary victoria — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:38:58 +0000

In the throes of a killer party at the Neptune last night, we were thrilled beyond belief to find out the details on another most excellent year for the Sasquatch! music festival, taking place out at the Gorge on Memorial Day weekend {May 25-28}. Sasquatch! is by far one of our favorite fests every year, and 2012 is going to be no exception.

We're particularly excited about partying down with the likes of Jack White, Beck, Tenacious D, Beirut, Girl Talk {hell yes!}, The Head and the Heart, Tune-Yards, Wild Flag, Blind Pilot, Mark Lanegan Band, The Cave Singers, Grouplove, Ted Leo, Deer Tick, Alabama Shakes, We Are Augustines, Shearwater {!!!!!}, Charles Bradley, Pickwick, Hey Marseilles, Sallie Ford, Dyme Def, Fresh Espresso, and Katie Kate -- but by no means does that even scratch the surface of the seemingly-zillion fantastic bands included on this year's lineup. As usual, there's a thoughtful mash of notable locals and squee-worthy headliners, so much so that slapping down the ticket price to spend the long weekend with twenty-plus thousand of your closest friends is an absolute no-brainer.

Recommended Show + Ticket Giveaway! Win tix to Dancing on the Valentine 7 {2/10}

Imaginary Amie — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:23:27 +0000

We know we've already warned you to buy tickets to Dancing on the Valentine Seven (and the Ragged Tiger), because WE KNOW this thing is gonna sell out - but just in case, here's another reminder, and a chance to win a pair of tickets so you can spend your money on booze and (LOTS of) raffle tickets instead!

DOTV7 is officially ONE WEEK AWAY, and ALL ticket and raffle proceeds go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here's another look at the awesome lineup of Northwest bands that will be on stage at The Crocodile covering Duran Duran songs:

John Roderick (of The Long Winters)
Exohxo
Lesli Wood (of The Redwood Plan) with Jupe Jupe
Katie Kate
Noddy
Princess
Hotels
Daniel G. Harmann & The Trouble Starts
Fly Moon Royalty
Davidson Hart Kingsbery

Just send us an email to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "Sing Blue Silver" sometime between now and 5pm on Wednesday, February 8. We'll pick a winner and notify you on Wednesday night so you and your date have time to plan outfits for Friday!

Don't miss: Sasquatch! lineup announcement / party / show at the Neptune {2/2}

imaginary victoria — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:40:42 +0000

It's coming! The crowds, the sun, the bands -- my stars, THE BANDS. We're beside ourselves with anticipation as we wait for the announcement of this year's Sasquatch! music festival lineup, and it won't be long now! The news will be public in less than forty-eight hours, as the folks at Sasquatch! HQ gear up for the announcement party taking place tomorrow night {2/2} at the Neptune. And you can join in, too! The show is all ages and tickets are just $16.00, which is a fair price to pay to be spending the night with the likes of Junip {feat. Jose Gonzales}, Matthew Caws {of Nada Surf, also playing a sold-out show later that night at the Tractor}, and The Physics.

Add the cherry on top of Luke Burbank playing host, and you've got the best party / show / festival lineup announcement / gathering-thing this side of the Puget Sound. We can't wait to start making our schedule for this year's trip to the Gorge, and hope to see you tomorrow night!

{All ages / $16 adv / 7p doors. Photo of the main stage at Sasquatch! 2010 by Victoria VanBruinisse.}

The Head and the Heart heat up the slopes at Steven's Pass {2/13}

Imaginary Gemma — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:20:18 +0000

Music and mountains are two of the biggest draws to the Pacific Northwest. On February 13, you can enjoy both together with an afternoon slipping down the slopes of Steven’s Pass, followed by The Head and the Heart’s acoustic set at the Foggy Goggle Lounge. We can’t think of a better way to warm up for Valentine’s Day than drinking hot toddies while hearing THatH’s intelligent, heartfelt harmonies.

THatH have won us over time and again with their live performances, which always sell out. This one may be all the way up the pass, but tickets are going fast, so you’ll want to get yours soon.

{21+ / $70 show + lift; $25 show only / 7:00 pm}

Recommended Show: Tennis Pro rocks it Japan style at Chop Suey {2/8}

Imaginary Amie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Gosling pretty much says it all. Tennis Pro is playing on Wednesday, February 8 at Chop Suey with two Japanese bands with perfect rock-and-roll names: Troll 8 (also the owner of Chop Suey's band) and Gnosis - plus, The Terrordactyls, who also hail from Seattle, and post pictures of sad pizza. Oh, and they also sound pretty neat, so they should complement Tennis Pro's awesomeness just fine.

So I'll see you guys up front near the stage, right?

Chop Suey Presents
TENNIS PRO
The Terrordactyls
Troll 8
Gnosis
plus guests
Friday, Feb. 8 | Doors at 8pm | $7

{photo courtesy of Tennis Pro's Facebook page}

Get your {indie} freak on with the new Andrew Bird track

imaginary victoria — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:35:47 +0000

We're just about a month out from Andrew Bird's next album release {Break It Yourself, due out on March 6th} and twice that from his upcoming show at the Paramount Theater {April 9th} with Laura Marling. Pre-album, the single "Eyeoneye" has made a (legal) foray out into the 'nets, and seeing as it's been on rotation since the minute the mailing list hit our imaginary inbox, we thought it fit to take a moment and hip you to it.

If this track is any indication of what Break It Yourself is going to bring to us on the whole, we're ready to put this as a frontrunner for one of 2012's top five albums without a single look back. There's a wide spectrum of recognizeable influence here while remaining decidedly Andrew Bird, which is to be expected -- he's one of those artists that continues to evolve with the world around him and change dramatically without departing too far from his baseline. And that said, there's a whole new freshly familiar vibe to the music: still laden with whistle-overs, graced with more than a hint of Phil Spector wall-of-sound-ery, and sliced through to the skeleton with a half-dozen emergent indie sounds of, well, right-fucking-now-ness.

Let the Los Campesinos Countdown begin {Neptune, 2/4}

imaginary liz — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:33:33 +0000

It is just a little over a week until the Los Campesinos! show at the Neptune Theater on Saturday, February 4, 2012 and I am beside myself with pre-show excitement. Every single LC! show I've seen has left me gleefully ravaged by the frenetic enthusiasm and beguiling live set. For them, it's a moral imperative to put on an amazing show.

Their latest album, Hello Sadness, is a further step down the path towards debilitating heartbreak. It tempers the deep cuts of longing with a glimmer of hope for what's ahead (I can't wait for them to get a room with Conor Oberst already. Oh how my world would be complete).

Currently, I've been listening to "Songs About Your Girlfriend" (which I bet is David Gedge's favorite song on the album), "Life Is A Long Time" and "By Your Hand" on repeat. I love it when it hurts so good.

Next Saturday cannot come fast enough!

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet for this all-ages show, you can pick them up online.

Oh, and did you see them perform "By Your Hand" on Letterman? Can I get a hallelujah for the Beautiful South t-shirt? (see the video after the jump)

Buy Your Tix Now for Dancing on the Valentine Seven at The Crocodile {2/10}

Imaginary Amie — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:35:58 +0000

This year is already flying by - which means in just a little over 2 weeks, it's time for Dancing on the Valentine Seven (and the Ragged Tiger)!!!

Jenny George's awesome fundraising cover night for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society takes place at The Crocodile on Friday, February 10, and features a line-up including TIG's Indie Santa Claus John Roderick, Lesli Wood (of the Redwood Plan) with Jupe Jupe, The Hotels, Katie Kate, Noddy, Exohxo, Princess, Flymoon Royalty, and Daniel G. Harmann with The Trouble Starts.

The seventh (!!!!) annual DOTV gathering marks a return to its original form featuring Duran Duran covers, in honor of Jenny's incredible meeting with the band last fall. Our own Imaginary Dana is Emcee'ing again (yay!), DJ Mike Steve will spin some tunes in-between bands, there'll be some sweet sweet raffle prizes, merch from previous DOTVs, and of course - Ben Haley's famous photobooth!

We hate to state the obvious - but we're giving you advanced warning because y'all better get your tickets now...this thing is gonna sell out.

Must-see film: Calvin Johnson and Chris Estey chat, and we get to watch

imaginary liz — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:21:16 +0000

We are always bursting with pride to count Chris Estey as a friend, let alone be honored enough to have him share his words on Three Imaginary Girls. But today, the thunderous applause coming from the imaginary office for Chris is deafening.

This morning we heard the amazing news that there are now public screenings scheduled for Have You Ever Had a Beard?, a new film which captures the first meeting of our dear Mr. Estey (wait, should we make that the title of a new advice column?) and the King of Indie, Calvin Johnson (wiki K Records, Beat Happening, all things rad)!

This meeting of the two mega-minds took place in the historic Columbia City Theater where Chris and Calvin chat and delve into their contrasting tones: Calvin's mysterious cosmos, mesmerizing baritone, and weighted works, with a concentration his latest solo incarnation ("he spits literary bop prosody in the form of three songs") versus Chris's torrential confessionals told with his signature unsurpassable jubilance that spills out like a spoken-word graphic novel (and inspired by Phil Ochs’ seminal Greatest Hits album).

The world premiere of the movie is at Portland's Hollywood Theatre on Friday February 24, 2012. Calvin Johnson (who will perform a couple of songs and answer questions) (!!!!) and directors Kathy Wolf and Pat Thomas will be in attendance.

The Seattle showing is a couple weeks later, on Monday March 5th at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle at 7 pm. Rumor has it that both Calvin Johnson and Chris Estey will be at the Seattle showing (be still my heart!!!).

Mark your calendar!!! We'll let you know when tickets are available for advance purchase.

(photo by Kathy Wolf)

Recommended show + free tickets: Nada Surf at the Tractor {2/2}

imaginary victoria — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:52:03 +0000

Just when we thought the new track from Nada Surf, "When I Was Young" {off the stars are indifferent to astronomy, which is officially out tomorrow on Barsuk} couldn't get any better, we stumbled across this gem of a video. While it's definitely a stripped-down version that doesn't have the same big, building, wall-of-sound vibe that the full band delivery brings, the intimacy and DIY element make this rendition a treasure of a whole other caliber -- and, of course, seeing and hearing this has gotten us that much more excited for the currently-sold-out show at the Tractor next Thursday.

Yep. Believe it or not, Nada Surf is playing at the Tractor. What's that? You didn't get tickets in time? Well, you're in luck: we're giving away a pair to one lucky winner, and you've got a whole week to enter to win! Just send us an email to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "PicturesInOurPretendWallets" sometime between now and 5pm on Friday, January 27th. We'll pick a winner over the weekend, and notify you on Monday morning that you're headed to Thursday's show.

Good luck!

{21+ / 8p doors / SOLD OUT / Say Hi opens. Hat tip to Laura Musselman for sending the video our way!}

Hot event in Bellevue tonight! No, really: come to BAM!

imaginary victoria — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:09:40 +0000

Dig that Mad Men vibe? Of course you do. And even though coordinated parties on the theme are so 2011, don't let it stop you from popping over to Bellevue (yes, Bellevue) to catch the exhibit that's currently on display there. Here's a bit more on it from the Bellevue Arts Museum site:

Reaching the height of his career in the mid-20th century, George Nelson (1908 - 1986) undoubtedly numbers among the founding figures of American design. Trained as an architect, Nelson made his mark not only as a designer but as an acclaimed writer, lecturer, exhibition designer and passionate photographer. His deliberations on questions of domestic living and the modern home and office set benchmarks in the field. As design director for Herman Miller, Nelson invented numerous classics of modern furniture and interior design. Featuring more than 220 objects, including furniture, lamps, clocks, graphic works, architectural models, films, prints and a full-scale partial reconstruction of the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, this retrospective renders a comprehensive portrait of Nelson and his many activities, acknowledging his prominent position in the world of design over nearly four decades.

You know his work -- take one look on the internet at even just the furniture designs he's responsible for (yep, that guy) and you'll recognize everything your Ikea furniture is desperately trying to be. And just in time to break the cabin fever, BAM is throwing a Mad Men & Martinis party tonight, which means you can see the exhibit, catch some live music, and hear some DJ sets from KEXP's own Greg Vandy -- all for just ten hot dollars. Get there!

{$10 / 21+ / 8p}

Recommended show: David Schmader at the Hugo House

imaginary liz — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:28:46 +0000

For anyone who has ever read a word of David Schmader's Last Days column in the Stranger, his insights on the Slog or seen one (or all) of his previous stage endeavors, you know that his upcoming one-man play entitled "A Short-Term Solution to a Long-Term Problem" is not to be missed.

For anyone who hasn't laid witness to one of the above, you should rectify your "not yet a David Schmader fan" status immediately.

The play, directed by Matthew Richter and written & performed by Schmader, will open at Capitol Hill's beloved Hugo House on Friday, January 20, 2012 and run through Saturday, February 4, 2012 (shows on Fridays and Saturday only). Opening night arrives just as we should be bidding adieu to snowmageddon. What a wonderful way to say good-bye to cabin fever!

I can't match Schmader's wit, so here's the cut and paste directly from him on what we can expect from this new piece:

A comedy about unfunny things, “A Short-Term Solution to a Long-Term Problem,” commissioned by Richard Hugo House, is writer/performer David Schmader’s solo play about the dramatic life upheaval that drove him to spend a decade “living every day like it’s your last!”—a profoundly ridiculous adventure that finds Schmader aiming his pointy-headed, fall-off-your-seat wit at marriage, Mormons and the type of relaxation that comes from watching a baby get a spray tan.

Doors for each performance are at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm (there's a disarming bar area in the Hugo House to fill those minutes between doors and start time). Advance tickets are available online at the Hugo House website.

Perhaps *this* is the shining performance that will earn a David Schmader wikipedia page (finally!). It's just suprising that things like this haven't made that happen yet:

Make room on your dance card for the Young Evils {1/14}

imaginary victoria — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:23:01 +0000

This weekend is getting so good, we may just have to draw out of a hat to see where we wind up -- with so much to choose from, it's getting hard to decide on just one place to be each night! Case in point, this show at Chop Suey on Saturday {Absolute Monarchs, The Young Evils, and Land of Pines} just popped onto the radar, making it one notch closer to impossible to sort out our plans. Depending on traffic and parking -- and since a little bird told us The YEs are actually headlining this one -- it's completely feasible to plan a double dip, starting the night out in Columbia City for a chunk of the Honky Tonk Angels tribute show, and then moseying on over to Capitol Hill to catch this show's last set.

Can anyone confirm or deny the final call on the lineup order? Let us know!

More Friday goodness: Star Anna at the Sorrento {1/13}

imaginary victoria — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:03:50 +0000

It looks like Friday's gonna be alright this week, with so much out there to pick from -- first we made plans for Pickwick's show in Portland, then Lovesick Empire's first-of-three at the Highline, and now we catch wind of Star Anna at the Fireside Room at the Sorrento. Can someone hurry up and invent cloning, please? Seriously.

If you need any convincing as to why you should stop into the Sorrento's Fireside Room for this set, just take a peek at the video for the title track off of Star's most recent release, Alone In This Together -- assuming the powerful, cinematic drive of this song is indicative of the direction her music is headed, here's yet another local artist who's well on the track to continue blowing minds with her work. And PS, Friday's show is free, so you literally have no excuse not to go.

Facebook invite here, band official website here.

{21+ / FREE / 7:30p. Photo of Star Anna at KEXP by Victoria VanBruinisse.}

Do not miss: Lovesick Empire at the Highline

imaginary victoria — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:29:28 +0000

There's a whole lot of us who will be migrating south for Friday night's Pickwick show at the Doug Fir, but if you're in town this weekend, there's plenty going on that's worth going out for: namely, Lovesick Empire's opening spot at the Highline in Capitol Hill on Friday night. They're playing with SAYS and Black Nite Crash, and you shouldn't miss it. Period.

If you haven't seen or heard Lovesick Empire yet, you are truly missing out. Their self-titled EP tied for first place in 2010's best-ofs, and my first round of listens earlier that year yielded quite the enthusiastic word-salad:

To say that this brand-stinkin'-new release from local notables Alicia Amiri and Jason Lajeunesse is in heavy rotation would just about be the understatement of the year [...] Lovesick Empire manages to give a nod to their roots while maintaining a sound that's completely their own -- we can hear hat-tips to true [word-other-than-]grunge and "He War"-esque Cat Power, layered with a good helping of black eyeliner and a missle-lock stare. You can almost see the movie scene playing out in a deafeningly loud bar during "Something in my Blood," hear the radio hit two tracks later, and realize you've got the perfect addition to your next mix tape with "Can't Get Right." Big, filthy guitars will keep the post-punks happy; and just enough forlorn-ness in the lyrics will draw the indie rockers in.

Recommended show + free tickets: Pickwick, PDX edition {1/13}

imaginary victoria — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:54:49 +0000

***UPDATE: Only two more days left to enter to win!***

It's a whole new year with a fresh round of shows to get excited about -- and to kick of the ticket giveaways, how about a pair for one of the PNW's new favorite local bands? Pickwick will be playing at The Doug Fir down in Portland ~~next~~ this Friday, January 13th, and you can enter to win a spot +1 on the guest list!

In case you haven't had an ear to the ground these last few months, Pickwick is taking the world by storm at pretty much every turn: a ginormous success of a show at the Neptune, followed by some time in the studio slated to birth an album that half of Seattle already has on their 2012 top-ten list; placing at number nine on KEXP's best 90.3 of 2011, firmly sandwiched between Beirut and Adele with a scant EP; and gorgeous, seemingly effortless videos that keep surfacing like Sound on the Sound's Doe Bay Sessions and the now-famed UW reading room rendition of Blackout.

Ready for a road trip? Just send an email to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "PickwickInPDX" anytime between now and noontime ~~next~~ this Wednesday, January 11th.

Heavy rotation: Nada Surf, Tennis

imaginary victoria — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:51:21 +0000

In a land where we are inundated by new music on a weekly, if not sometimes daily basis -- few things feel better than starting a nice, fresh playlist of tracks that have made the cut (in both the new-release new and new-to-me new ways). I like to organize mine by month, so at a moment's glance, I can see what's new when a friend is looking for something to woo her ear, or what to pull from for a DJ night. That first playlist in the first folder of the year holds special appeal for us over-organizing audiophiles, and while it's already starting to flesh out with some new-to-my-rotation tunes -- "For The One" / WATERS, "Goodness Gracious" / Heligoats, "The Dreamer" / Tallest Man On Earth -- one of the first outright new tracks of 2012 that's become stuck in my proverbial craw is Nada Surf's "When I Was Young".

Slated for release later this month, and undoubtedly one of the many songs the crowd will be set to swoon for when they take the stage at the Tractor on February 2nd, this song has the same kind of intimate-cum-cinematic appeal of Band of Horses' "Funeral" -- the kind of track you turn up because the opening strains start to pull at your heartstrings, and before you know it, you're thrown into this building, accelerating wall of indie-rock, while those signature vocals hold steady and soothing. If the rest of the album is anything like this, The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy will absolutely have a firm place in your top-ten list of 2012, local or otherwise. {band official} {preorder at Barsuk}

The best news of 2012 {so far}: Three Imaginary Girls presents Allo Darlin' at the Vera Project

imaginary liz — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:54:19 +0000

{Allo Darlin' photo by Steve Louie from the Imaginary Flickr Photo Pool - taken at their October, 2010 show at the Rendezvous}

It's barely 2012 and already we have news worthy of a shower of fireworks. Imaginary favorite Allo Darlin' are coming back to town!!!

Three Imaginary Girls is beyond excited to present their all-ages show at the Vera Project on Friday, May 11, 2012 as part of our big 10 year celebration (yes, can you believe it? TIG is turning 10!!!). Don't delay, tickets go on sale at 10am on Wednesday {1/4/12}!!!