There's been an incredible current underfoot in our fair city these past few weeks, as two noteworthy nonprofits -- the Seattle Theater Group and 826 Seattle -- have been gearing up for their annual fundraising events. On April 28th, STG presented DOORS: Opening Doors to the Arts, a combination dinner, live show and paddle raise held at the Paramount Theater that funds dozens of incredible programs and community initiatives each year. Between the silent and live auctions and the actual straight-donation paddle raise that collectively brought in over $430,000.00 {!!!}, there was also a live show featuring some of the teachers, students, and performance groups that STG has been able to reach out and impact -- and a special performance from Allen Stone with members of the Seattle Rock Orchestra.

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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.}

The Crocodile is poised to break your hearts this Thursday {7/7} with a double dose of powerhouse female vocalists: the throaty, drop-dead gorgeous voice of grunge-Queen Ms. Carrie Akre (if you don't know who she is, look up Hammerbox, Goodness, and The Rockfords) and the amazingly raw and pretty tones of Star Anna. AND IT IS ONLY $10!!! What.

Akre is leaving Seattle to head to the midwest, and this is billed as her FINAL Seattle show (we can only hope that isn't entirely true), so y'all better get out there to hear how incredible she is one last time before she's gone. If you've never experienced her live, you have to. She will shake you the core, trust me.

I couldn't be more pleased about this pairing, because it seems like these two ladies are meant to play together - which is another argument for getting your butt down to The Croc, as you might never have another chance at that.

The Crocodile Presents
Carrie Akre (FINAL Seattle show) 
and Star Anna
Thursday, July 7
Door @8, 21+, $10 Adv/$12 day of

{Star Anna is also playing earlier in the eve on 7/7 at the Kenmore Summer Concert series, and plays 7/9 @Wine, Women and Song, 7/10 @the Ballard Seafood Fest, and has a record release party on 7/12 @Easy St in West Seattle. Whew - that woman is busy!}

 

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at Marymoor Park

No Depression Festival - Short Version:

It was hot. We ate barbecue. I drank a lot of beer and cider. Most of us had dirty, bare feet. Zee Avi is adorable. Jeff Fielder is totally amazing. Jessica Lea Mayfield is a lo-fi version of Jesse Sykes. Everyone loved Justin Townes Earle. No one much liked Patterson Hood. Sam Beam makes me swoon, EVERY DAMN TIME. Lesbians love Gillian Welch.

No Depression Festival - Long Version:

Due to bad traffic across the water, I was a little late arriving at the No Depression festival on Saturday but still managed to hear the last two or three songs by the very pleasant Zee Avi. I was interested to see her live, owing to the lore that has built up around her unusual entry into the biz and she pulled it off with very confident stage presence. I have to admit though, she does sound a little like Norah Jones to me.

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Remember Star Anna from Exile in Imaginary Guyville?

The girl with the big voice has a new record out today with her band The Laughing Dogs called The Only Thing That Matters. It is a great follow up to Crooked Path, her critically and fan acclaimed debut.

She'll be stopping by Queen Anne Easy Street tonight at 7 pm to celebrate! She also has a record release show at The Tractor Tavern this Saturday.

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Day-job calendar scouring strikes again!

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As of today, we're officially in the second half of 2008. Welcome! To gear you up for another fabulous six months of local Northwest releases, we here at imaginary headquarters have brainstormed an imaginary mix for all of you, containing some of our favorite songs by Northwest artists released this year to date thus far.

No promises that each of these will make our Best of 2008 Reader's Poll final list, but at least this way you have the next six months to follow-up and listen to these releases before you have to decide. To paraphrase imaginary ChrisB, we feel like this list is pretty unfuckwithable. But that doesn't mean that we didn't inadvertently overlook something great. If you have additions for our list, please chime in with your comments below.

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at Chop Suey

See the setlist and some amazing photos from last night's Exile in {Imaginary} Girlville bash!

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Practice all your moves, and mark your calendars: Celebrate TIGs sixth anniversary with us at Chop Suey on June 25!

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Chop Suey. Tonight, Wednesday night, June 25th. Doors at 8p, "6'1"" starts promptly at 9p. Come celebrate six fabulous years of TIG with us.

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