Three Imaginary Girls - Viva Voce

Damien Jurado + Viva Voce + Loch Lomond = SWOON.

heather hydra — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:59:53 +0000

{Photo courtesy of Sarah Jurado, all-around gorgeous human.}

A few thoughts on why you should find yourself at the Crocodile this Saturday, March 5th:

1. Damien Jurado is a king amongst men. He is a beautiful person who makes music so personal, it's hard not to shed copious tears upon hearing the opening notes of a song, or when he opens his mouth to sing. Saint Bartlett is his newest release, and has been called everything from "an achievement" (Pitchfork) to a "welcome fork in the road" (PopMatters) in terms of sound, which may have a lot to do with his collaboration with Richard Swift for this album.

He'll be headlining the evening, the frosting on top of a delicious indie rock cake of awesome.

{Photo courtesy of Laura Musselman, expert kitten wrangler.}

2. There is a rumor floating around that Viva Voce will be playing the show on Saturday as a two-piece. Not that the Viva Voce extended family is a bad thing, because it's quite the opposite -- however, there is something soul-affirming and lift-you-to-the-risers exciting about the core duo performing. There's less people to watch, more time to spend on marveling at how G-D amazing Anita Robinson is as a guitar player. The shredding she unleashes is unstoppable. And there is nothing like watching Kevin Robinson play drums, keyboards and guitar at the same time, without missing a beat. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss their set.

MusicFestNW - Mid-September Music Madness in Portland - Photo Essay

Imaginary Muller — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:08:08 +0000

17 Sep 2009

Imaginary Chona and I tag-teamed MusicFestNW with her resident reviewer, RJ, recently. I covered the first few days and she hit the last few days due to some circumstances of her being "cursed" until Saturday. Somehow, she broke the curse and I believe has photos posted on the site.

I made it down to Portland just in time to see Hey Marseilles a few songs into their set at the Ash Street Saloon. Apparently there were some sound problems early, but they were cleared by the time I arrived. The boys told me that they felt that the performance was a bit lackluster at first, but they made an unspoken group decision to just "rock the fuck out" for the rest of the set...and it turned out to be fantastic. The crowd really took to the Seattle Seven and promptly complied when lead-singer, Matt Bishop, asked them to get closer to the stage.

The Black Whales followed and kept the crowd from thinning out too much with their well crafted poppy sound. I've seen these guys a few times now and am excited to check them out again. I am eagerly awaiting their upcoming release.

The rest of the night consisted of Derby and the Dimes, who were good, but the crowd had abated by the time they started and I'd hit my limit of working, driving, shooting all day.

On Friday, I went down to the Doug Fir to catch some of the KEXP live broadcasts. Unfortunately, the Arctic Monkeys set was closed, and Sunny Day Real Estate had to cancel due to illness. I still had a chance to catch the Builders & the Butchers and Chairlift. After those sessions was an early evening show at the Wonder Ballroom with the Arctic Monkeys, with opening act, the Like. Sadly, even my super-duper press pass and photo pass was not good enough to allow me in with my camera to this show, so you're stuck with the really cruddy cell phone pics that I was able to take. The Like are an all female band from Los Angeles who had some pretty fun songs, but might be hard to take for 40 minutes straight. I'd throw their stuff into a mix and shuffle, once their album is released.

The Arctic Monkeys on the other hand, kicked ass. They are one of my favourite bands and they played for over an hour. Alex Turner and co. had the crowd wrapped around their fingers as they played decidely loud renditions of their songs. One curiosity I noticed was that they had nearly a dozen guitars with them, and would often switch them out between songs. They ended their pre-encore set with my favourite of their songs, "Do Me a Favour" that ends with the line, "perhaps fuck off might be too kind". I had to jet at that point to get across town to my next show... The Long Winters, Viva Voce, Rocky Votolato and Say Hi at Berbati's Pan. Say Hi played a solid set, and seemed to win over some new fans.

Rocky played a fairly stripped down set, solely on acoustic guitar and harmonica.

Local to Portland, Viva Voce seemed to light up the crowd the most. Kevin Robinson taking to smashing his guitar on the stage near the end of the set.

Sadly, I was so exhausted by this point, I reluctantly retreated for the door to head back to the hotel. However, right outside I ran into John Roderick and Eric Corson of the Long Winters. After apoligizing that I'd be missing their show, they posed for some candids along with Justin of Menemona for me. And with that, I headed back with my travel companion leaving the rest of the weekend to the no-longer-cursed Chona.

Local to Portland, Viva Voce seemed to light up the crowd the most. Kevin Robinson taking to smashing his guitar on the stage near the end of the set.

Three Imaginary Girls IndieTune Podcast {August 13, 2009}

three imaginary girls — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:09:47 +0000

Imaginary liz put together a podcast featuring some of her favorite songs of the moment. A bunch of these bands are playing a Seattle show in the coming weeks (mark your calendar!) and some have just been on repeat this summer. Enjoy!

Lacrosse - "I See A Brightness" from the album Bandages For The Heart
Coulter - "Give It A Chance" from the album Sent to Coventry
The Little Penguins - "The Blame" from the album Welcome to the Celebration
The Nightgowns - "Pppps" from the album Sing Something
Tiny Masters Of Today - "Pop Chart" from the album Skeletons
We Wrote The Book On Connectors - "Almost Magical" from the album Ride It Out Like A Turbo Horse
Shotty - "Not Today, After Work" from the album Ah Here We Go
Viva Voce - "Devotion" from the album Rose City
Capgun Coup - "Social Security Number" from the album brought to you by nebraskafish
Japandroids - "To Hell With Good Intentions" from the All Lies EP
The Very Most - "You're In Love With the Sun" from the Summer EP
Andrea Wittgens - "Punchline" from the album In The Skyline
17th Chapter - "Old Folks" fro the album Around The Bend And Then Some
Unbunny - "Dental Hygenist" from the album Uncertain Tracks, 1996-2008

53:56 minutes (61.76 MB)

KEXP's annual BBQ on Saturday

Chelsea Werner — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:33:12 +0000

Ideally summertime is all about getting sweaty and silly at free outdoor music shows. And guess who sticks to their ideals? Our provider of independent, new music, KEXP. Their summer concert series at the Mural Amphitheater in Seattle Center is running over the next few weeks to bring you a plethora of pitch-perfect bands for free. This Saturday, the 8th happens to be their annual BBQ from 2-9 pm and you know it’s going to rock your socks off.

Photo Essay: Viva Voce w/ the Shaky Hands & Rafter

Steve Louie — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:24:02 +0000

10 Apr 2009

vivavoce_chopsuey1.jpg

Viva Voce come out of hibernation to embark on a spring tour and perform new songs in anticipation of their upcoming new album entitled Rose City which is due out May 26th. Supporting them is Rafter (Asthmatic Kitty) and the Shaky Hands (Kill Rock Stars).

I've waited to shoot this show since January when the press release subject read "Viva Voce Break Up". I admit I misread the entire release since it went on to say that the break up was the two piece of Anita and Kevin Robinson but adding two more members so it's kind of the reincarnation of Viva Voce after not touring for awhile.

Viva Voce is now a four piece with the addition of Corrina Repp (Tu Fawning) and Evan Railton on drums.

Rafter from San Diego (also known as Rafter Roberts) opened the evening. I don't know too much about this band other than their label Asthmatic Kitty. Apart from the obvious association with Sufjan Stevens on that label, the only other band I've seen live on that roster is Shapes and Sizes. My impression is that bands on that label and carefully hand picked and are pretty electic. Rafter sweated out quite a dancey set of rock much to a sparse but receptive crowd. I have to hand it Rafter as they have the goods to get a party started.

The Shaky Hands were the second openers and I remember seeing them a few years ago at TIG's 5th anniversary party and they were prety amazing on stage. Fast forward to today and there's been a few lineup changes and the music was definitely less pop than I remembered. The sound has matured to a more psychedelic folk feel to it. Lead singer/guitarist Nicholas Delffs can still rock out.

Viva Voce hasn't been on the tour circuit for the past year since they've been working on the new album and they took a break from playing. Now that they are a four piece and hearing the new songs, the comeback is as strong as ever. Anita's wa wa bar plus pedals and Corrina's theremin is wicked combination of amplified distortion.

Viva Voce come out of hibernation to embark on a spring tour and perform new songs in anticipation of their upcoming new album entitled Rose City which is due out May 26th. Supporting them is Rafter and the Shaky Hands.

Viva Voce break up*, announce tour dates

imaginary victoria — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:25:07 +0000

Two piece to four piece, and those magic words: Spring Tour.

Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney to perform with Blue Giant

imaginary dana — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:40:16 +0000

This will be Ms. Tucker's first live performance since Sleater-Kinney disbanded back in 2006, and rumors are flying that this is the first of future collaborations she'll be making with Blue Giant.

New Viva Voce project

Tim Hanken — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:11:49 +0000

How exciting is this?!!?! A full band version of Viva Voce's awesomeness.

Viva Voce show in Portland tonight... their last show for a while?

imaginary liz — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:39:59 +0000

Am I reading too much into this... or just out of the loop? Viva Voce posted a message on their MySpace that their FREE show tonight in Portland is "going to be their last for a while" and notes that this year has been rough.

Viva Voce bring on the bonus material, MP3s, and tour dates!

imaginary liz — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:42:24 +0000

For those who came late to the game, their critically acclaimed (and long out of print) second and third albums Lovers, Lead The Way! (originally released in 2003) and The Heat Can Melt Your Brain (originally released in 2004) are going to be reissued as one along with bonus tracks on the band's own Amore!Phonics label on Nov. 13.

Bumbershoot 2007: Viva Voce Interview

elle — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:40:49 +0000

I feel like I somehow inadvertently saved the best for last. Viva was my very last interview of the weekend, and they were completely nice, completely funny, poised and full of all the information I wanted to hear. They really made me feel good about interviewing, since as I mentioned before, this was pretty much my crash course weekend in it.

What you don't see in the video is Kevin picking me up at the end. I had completely flubbed up a special highfive he tried to give, and when we went to redo it, he surprised me by picking me up, squeezing me with a bear hug, and planting a huge kiss on my cheek. Talk about a band you want to hang out with later.

p.s. Kevin and Anita: I need to try these things you call "boiled peanuts."

{Imaginary correspondent elle was an interviewing machine at Bumbershoot 2007, and Three Imaginary Girls is proud to present loads of her video interviews with some of your favorite bands from the Pacific Northwest, including Viva Voce, Aqueduct, the Trucks, and more! See all our Bumbershoot 2007 coverage!}

What does your band name mean?

elle — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 05:22:56 +0000

Yes, I've had nearly 10 bands thank me after their interviews for not asking them what harebrained idea resulted in their moniker.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: Viva Voce, The Girls, John Vanderslice, BOAT, Speaker Speaker... aka "Band's we wish we'd seen"

imaginary dana — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:34:21 +0000

28 Jul 2007

Since we imaginaries couldn't be everywhere at once, we wanted to share some photos of the shows that we missed, but our erstwhile photographers -- Laura Musselman and Chona Kasinger -- saw and documented.

The Girls (photo by Laura Musselman)

Viva Voce (photo by Laura Musselman)
We've heard nothing but great things about Viva Voce's set at Neumo's... and really, we would never expect anything less from this Portland duo.

Speaker Speaker (photo by Chona Kasinger)

The Saturday Knights (photo by Chona Kasinger)

John Vanderslice (by Chona Kasinger)
Actually, we did catch about half of JV's great set on the Main Stage... and then had the chance to hear him play to a very small gathering the following day. The difference was staggering; somehow, JV translates better in a more intimate setting, where his stellar songwriting skills really shine. More details about that show coming soon!

Fleet Foxes (by Chona Kasinger)
We expect very, VERY big things from this band in the coming year...

And last but not least, TIG lo-fi favorites, BOAT (by Chona Kasinger)

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

The Girls (photo by Laura Musselman)

Viva Voce (photo by Laura Musselman)
We've heard nothing but great things about Viva Voce's set at Neumo's... and really, we would never expect anything less from this Portland duo.

Speaker Speaker (photo by Chona Kasinger)

Tonight's Recommended Show: Viva Voce, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Siberian at Neumo's

imaginary liz — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:29:11 +0000

Speaking of popcorn(!) and music... we love it when folks combine our favorite things into one night of fun. The super-cool SIFF folks have taken their pledge to Find True Film out of the theater and into the rock club with their Face the Music program.

Sasquatch 2007: Viva Voce

Tim Hanken — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 06:06:39 +0000

26 May 2007

vivavoce_sas07.jpg

Viva Voce’s Sasquatch appearance on Saturday took place on the Yeti Stage, which was essentially located in the Gorge food court. It was as if the organizers of the event decided “Well these people are going to have to stand in incredibly long lines to buy overpriced food, we may as well let them rock while they’re standing there”. The perfect accompaniment to a bad gyro on this day was Portland’s Viva Voce.

I got to the Yeti stage a little late and missed the very beginning of their set, but in time to witness them tear into “Believer” and “So Many Miles”. These two tracks exemplify all that is great about Viva Voce, the fact that Kevin Robinson can play drums and play other instruments at the same time (harmonica in the case of “Believer”), and the huge guitar riffs that Anita Robinson lays down with just the right amount of distortion (as well as being able to writhe around with her guitar while keeping her cowboy hat).

Viva Voce culled a set list exclusively from their latest album Get Yr Blood Sucked Out and played each song with the tightness that one achieves when touring non stop in support of a record for the better part of a year.

Kevin’s voice was a little gruff this time around, giving it a little bit of a rough edge. This gruffness was especially evident in the closing song of their set, a cover of Alan Parsons Project's “Eye in the Sky” like you’ve never heard it before: Kevin half singing and half William Shatner style spoken word, “I am the eye in the sky, looking at you, I can read your mind.” Turns out they recorded “Eye in the Sky” for a recent compilation album of arena rock covers entitled Bridging The Distance to benefit P:ear, a Portland non-profit that helps the city’s transitional youth through tough times. Along with Viva Voce there are tracks form other Portland related artists such as The Decemberists and The Dandy Warhols. Good tunes and a good cause, you can’t beat that. I’m hoping that on Bridging the Distance II, or whatever the follow up is called, we’ll get a Viva Voce version of “Jukebox Hero.” “Just one guitar” it’s all Viva Voce need to bring the house down.

“Just one guitar” it’s all Viva Voce need to bring the house down.

Updates for your Sasquatch spreadsheet

Tim Hanken — Mon, 21 May 2007 20:44:08 +0000

It looks like The Long Winters are now playing Sasquatch on Saturday. The Sasquatch website lists them in between Citizen Cope and M.I.A. on the Saturday line up.

Check out the TIG review of the Viva Voce show

Cal Ledbetter — Thu, 03 May 2007 19:11:11 +0000

This is a great review by Tim Hanken on Monday's Croc show, AKA the Croc's Sweet Sixteen Birthday Bash, AKA a kick-ass Viva Voce show.

Happy Sweet 16 to the Croc, with Viva Voce

Tim Hanken — Thu, 03 May 2007 06:02:18 +0000

30 Apr 2007

vivavoce07may.jpg

April 30th marked the 16th birthday of the Crocodile Café, and the venue celebrated it Cotillion-style with invitations and corsages. I opted for casual attire (who gets dressed up to see a show at the Croc?), but apparently they were serious about the semi-formal attire thing. The half dozen people who had actually gotten dressed up looked good with their little flowers pinned to their dresses and vests as they wandered about the sparsely populated venue. We took up residence in the bar and bided our time waiting for Viva Voce.

When Kevin and Anita Robinson hit the stage, I quickly realized that Kevin Robinson is probably one of the coolest people on the face of the planet. He’s in a rock band, he can play drums while playing the guitar, harmonica, or the kazoo, he’s good looking, funny, and he rocks a headband like a 1970’s NBA baller. Not only is he cool, he’s lucky enough to be married to a woman who can absolutely demolish a guitar. Three songs in, Viva Voce tore into "So Many Miles" and I’m pretty sure that I saw smoke coming from Mrs. Robinson’s Rickenbacker guitar.

Viva Voce gave their all to celebrate the Crocodile’s sweet sixteen. They even stopped to sing Happy Birthday to the club. Unlike a couple months ago when I saw Viva Voce open for the Shins at the Paramount, I was easily able to move to the front and stand nary five feet away from the band with out being crowded. Everyone in attendance was able to move about freely and enjoy a great show without the rigors of a packed house.

The duo played more from Get Yr Blood Sucked Out while mixing in older tunes as well. They closed the set with “Special Thing,” my personal favorite indie ballad of 2006-2007. Kevin sang “It’s a very special thing/She makes the people clap and sing” and the crowd did indeed clap and sing along to the song he undoubtedly wrote for his wife. They played a two-song encore that featured two other non-GYBSO tracks that were exemplary.

It was an odd event, this invitation-only semi-formal party sponsored by a tobacco company in a smoke-free venue. Viva Voce were undeterred by this series of awkward events and put on a great show. Seattleites will be graced with their presence twice more in the coming months at Sasquatch and then again at the Capitol Hill Block Party. Neither of these shows will offer the crazy circumstances that surrounded Monday’s gig at the Crocodile, but they will feature a great band that consists of the coolest guy on the planet and a guitar goddess. That’s a pretty good deal, even if you don’t get to wear a corsage.

Kevin Robinson is probably one of the coolest people on the face of the planet. He’s in a rock band, he can play drums while playing the guitar, harmonica, or the kazoo, he’s good looking, funny, and he rocks a headband like a 1970’s NBA baller. Not only is he cool, he’s lucky enough to be married to a woman who can absolutely demolish a guitar.

Get yer Capitol Hill Block Party on

imaginary dana — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:53:18 +0000

Yo yo Seattle. Our town's hippest summer music festival has just announced a preliminary lineup and pre-sale tickets:

The Shins, with Viva Voce

Tim Hanken — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 06:00:00 +0000

18 Feb 2007

shinsphoto.jpg

I was excited when I left my apartment on Sunday en route to the Shins show at the Paramount Theatre. I've had their first two albums Oh, Inverted World and Chutes Too Narrow for quite some time and like so many fans, added Wincing the Night Away the day it was released. However, I'd never seen them live (well, maybe once when they opened for Modest Mouse many moons ago but I'm fairly confident I was in the bar, and not, in fact watching The Shins). My life has changed several times since I first purchased Oh, Inverted World but I haven't been able to directly correlate these changes to The Shins "New Slang," despite what Natalie Portman claims in Garden State. I thought maybe I would be able to fulfill the Portman Prophecy if I was to see "New Slang" live.

Show openers Viva Voce gave a hellava show. I think the Bible says something or another about not coveting thy neighbor's lady. I think there may even be a straight-to-hell clause in there if the husband of said lady is sitting eight feet to her right behind a drum kit. Biblical ramifications or no, it's impossible to not fall under Anita Robinson's spell.

When Viva Voce tore into the title track of their new album Get Yr Blood Sucked Out, Mrs. Robinson's guitar solo was as impressive as any you'll ever hear. Later in the set she switched to a double-neck guitar, sending visions of bad Van Halen videos streaming through my mind (in a good way). Not to be outdone, her husband Kevin pounded the drum kit with ferocious intensity before stopping to pick up an acoustic guitar and dedicate "Special Thing" to all the lovers in the crowd. They closed the set with the heart warming "We Do Not Fuck Around" — and I can honestly say I have never seen anything so sexy in my life as a woman with a double neck guitar singing/yelling "We Don't Fuck Around!"

The crowd started to swell after Viva Voce left the stage and the late arrivals began to file in. It was a packed house; the demand for Shins tickets in Seattle was so great that the Shins forfeited a day off to add this show to their schedule (they headed to Vancouver for a date at the Commodore Ballroom on 2/19 before returning to Seattle for another show at the Paramount, along with an in-store performance at Easy Street Records on Tuesday, 2/20).

The Shins took the stage in the dark, and as soon as the first note of "Sleeping Lessons" was heard, a giant version of their Dr. Seuss meets M.C. Escher album cover for Wincing the Night Away illuminated behind them. Smatterings of passionate Shins fans jumped and sang along with lead singer James Mercer. As always, the two biggest super fans were standing directly in front of me, writhing around and throwing their hands up as if at some sort of Baptist Revival. The first four songs of the set followed in accordance with Wincing's first four tracks, causing me to wonder if we were going to witness one of those rare "play the album in its entirety" type of shows. But after "Phantom Limb," the Shins deviated from the new record to play "Kissing the Lipless," at which point my two super fans decided it was time to get high. In a classic 'My First Marijuana' moment, I watched them attempt to shoo the smoke away in order to remain inconspicuous. In any case, I was happy to see them stoned, if for no other reason then to keep them from bouncing around and shaking their hands in the air in the praise Jesus fashion as previously described.

And then it happens: my life was changed as the Shins broke into "New Slang." I didn't feel any tingling or dizziness; maybe it's not an immediate change. What was changed was the tempo of the song; "New Slang" was slower and stripped down for this live performance. The obligatory rock show lighters came out, signifying the song's place as an indie-rock monster ballad.

The Shins played tight, sounding as if they were played directly off the albums, although Mercer's voice was a little gruff. At one point in the show he jokingly told the crowd that if we thought his voice was off, we should clean out our ears. The Fruit Bats' Eric Johnson was onstage with the band and contributed to every song, leading me to wonder if his participation with the Shins will be so limited as a simple backing credit on their next album. By the time they closed their set with a rocking rendition of "Caring is Creepy," my super fans were jumping around and wiggling with the spirit again. The Shins then returned to the stage for the obligatory encore, ending the show with an up-tempo version of "So Says I" before sending the crowd out, wincing into the night.

As the Shins broke into "New Slang." I didn't feel any tingling or dizziness; maybe it's not an immediate change.