The demise of Dear John Letters was - I swear I'm not being over dramatic here - one of the saddest moments of my life. This band was an integral part of refinding my happiness; they were there when I needed a musical lifeline. I was at damn near every show they played, and it was always a treat to see them on stage. So, yeah. I was/am seriously in love with this band, you guys. And this Friday {11/4} they are going to rock the Sunset one more time for a fun reunion show! 

Since I bought my tickets in like, July, I kind of forgot about it until now, which is rad because it's making me get excited all over again. I'll see you there, right? It's also frontman Robb Benson's birthday - so that should make it extra fun! 

Dear John Letters (11pm)
Rock Tim Dijulio presents 1971 (12am)
The Great Um (10pm) 
The Sunset Tavern
Friday, 11/4 | Doors @9pm | $10 | 21+ 

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at The Sunset Tavern

It has been a few years since I last had the chance to see Marissa Nadler, and from the first breath of her highly reverbed vocals, I was transplanted back to some lonely late night room where her melancholy lullabies offered some kindred consolation. On Tuesday evening {6/7}, she performed a solo acoustic set at the Sunset, which was both intimate and lovely even though she proclaimed several times during her appearance that she wished she had the money to be able to bring her band along for the tour. It didn’t matter though because one striking sign that Nadler is a great artist is that she is able to create transcendent music whether or not there are other musicians accompanying her on stage.

Nadler has just released a new eponymous LP called Box of Cedar and showcased several songs from it in her set. “In Your Lair, Bear” is a stark song that is reminiscent of Songs III: Bird On The Water and could easily have fit on that record. It was certainly one of the most gorgeous songs of the evening. The simple, sorrowful structure of her finger-picked guitar is not dissimilar to Leonard Cohen and her spectral vocal delivery remains true to her classic sound. “Mr. John Lee Revisited” is another beautiful track. It explores similar territory to the former with a sad, gentle melody and mournful vocals.

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Dude/ettes!

A quickie blog post to let you know the great news, as follows: Versus will be gracing the stage of the Sunset Tavern this Saturday, February 26th. Say it with me now... HOLY SHIZ!!! As a long-time fan of their past record labels (TeenBeat, Caroline, and Merge) in addition to hearting the band itself, I can only say that I am just the teensiest bit excited to see them perform. As you can probably tell from all the exclamation points.

And like that isn't enough good news, Sister Wife will be opening the show with their brand of California-inspired pop music. Believe me, you do NOT want to miss them. The keyboard player will totally make out with you for $1. (Seriously. She told me that once.)

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Karl Blau's live show is unassuming, sometimes off-putting to audience members who don't quite know what he's about, gorgeous, and altogether swoon-worthy.  It is no coincidence that Karl Blau has been a member of, and has performed with, some of my most favorite bands: Your Heart Breaks, D+, Mount Eerie, and Laura Veirs are just some that come to mind immediately. One of my first indie rock loves was the KRecs/Knw-Yr-Own Anacortes/OlyWa scene and its members/musicians, leading to my discovery of Clothes Yr I's soon after it was re-released on K Records in 2003. (The fourth track, "Thorns," is pure heart-tugging greatness.)

You can soak up some of the goodness first-hand on Friday, January 28th at the Sunset Tavern, where Karl Blau will be taking the stage at the Sunset Tavern along with the likes of the always-delightful Pica Beats and the dreamy, layered-vocal sounds of The Soft Hills. And we've got a pair of tickets to give away!

Send an email to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls.com by 3p on Thursday, January 27th to be entered to win two tickets to this great night of music. Please put "KarlBlauAteMyCat" in the subject line. In the body, tell us why you think (or know) the sky is blue. (Srsly, science is awesome!) Good luck!!

{21+ / 9p doors / $8. Photo courtesy of K Records.}

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Simply put, Kinski is a band that never disappoints. Churning out content since the late nineties (and under the roof of SubPop since 2002), every record that they put out is nothing short of absolute rad -- not to mention how they do it live! As regular tourmates of Mission of Burma, Comets on Fire, Oneida, Mono and Acid Mothers Temple, they sure as shit know how to bring the gut-churning rock. Want to see a band that melts your face and makes your insides shake like Jell-O? Take yourself to a Kinski show.

Whether you be a drunkard, hesher, straight-edge, stoner or soccer mom, the wall of sound Kinski produces will swell and hold you in a gentle embrace... just make sure you bring your earplugs along for the ride. Kinski be taking down the walls of the Sunset Tavern tonight {December 17th} with the likes of This Blinding Light and Brain Fruit. Doors are at 9, and there's just a silly little $8 cover.

Don't be late!

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{Barbara Manning, Can You Imagine?, and headliners Midday Veil play The Sunset this Friday, December 3rd, 2010.}

Barbara Manning currently lives in Chico, adores baseball, started out in power pop and rock bands (like 28th Day and World of Pooh), sort of prophesied riot grrrl, and has also written 18 minute song-cycles to firebugs. She's lovingly covered the likes of Amon Duul, Richard Thompson, The Deviants -- and is one of the friskiest and most experimental singer-songwriters you'll ever see. Manning is playing this Friday night, December 3, at the Sunset, and if you want to hear one of the most exceptional female creators of torqued torch and firepit freak rock lay it like it's meant to be played, you'll be there.

This devilishly charismatic collaborator with Stephin Merritt's band The 6ths (she sang "San Diego Zoo" from their album Wasp's Nests), among many other indie demigods, will probably melt the other members of her cult that night. I'm personally really hoping she plays "Someone Wants You Dead," which she has recorded twice -- and yes, both times were worth it. The original version ended her twelve track 1988 debut Lately I Keep Scissors, which is absolutely essential for any indie rock collection. "Every Pretty Girl" (the video up top) was also on that record, as was was the wonderfully bizarre "Mark E. Smith & Brix." Manning doesn't record or play out too often, but she is responsible for inspiring the indie pop you ache for, and even taking it into the weirder alternative and American anti-folk forms you've grown to enjoy as well.

If you're a Three Imaginary Girls fan, she is your past, present, and future.

To make the night absolutely irresistible, openers Can You Imagine? and headliners Midday Veil will also be playing. Can You Imagine? is Steve Fisk (!!) on keyboards. Wait: the guy who is so extremely creative, he's produced and played on albums by everyone from The Posies, Low, Beat Happening, Damien Jurado, Steven Jesse Bernstein, and so many other Pacific NW-centric performers? Yes -- the same Steve Fisk, sound-crafter par excellence. This is his razor-sharp psyche-power pop group with Peter Bagge, who is from several underground pop bands, most notably the Action Suits, and as Fantagraphics' PR madman and curator puts it Larry Reid puts it, "Seattle comics' Robert Crumb."

Can You Imagine? also features three female vocalists: Michelle Plaitis (front woman/lead singer), Rachel Frost (backing vocals and bass), and Sue Merrill (backing vocals and drums) to make sugar-sweet and speedy girl-group energy combine with 60’s British Invasion rock and 70’s Los Angeles beat group-slash-punk influences. Their self-titled debut CD is (to be expected) superbly produced, the vocals are truly fetching, has a great cover from Bagge, and is one of my top ten favorite records of the year.

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{photo credit: the lovely Laura Musselman, courtesy of our imaginary flickr pool}

Now that we're all done with Sasquatch, it's time to set our sights on the next raddest lineup to hit the west coast: it's Noise for the Needy, 2010 edition. There's close to seventy-five bands and djs playing a baker's dozen of venues next weekend, when NFTN takes over every corner of Seattle from June 9th (Thursday) through the 13th (Sunday). Among the notables in big font this year are John Vanderslice, Visqueen, Horse Feathers, Delta Spirit, the Maldives, The Album Leaf, Animals at Night, The Portland Cello Project, and The Redwood Plan -- along with enough supporting acts to make your head spin. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets, or you can just buy a la carte at each show / venue -- although there's some sweet all-access wristband deals being offered if you want to rock it like that.

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at The Sunset Tavern

Agog. Gobsmacked. Flabbergasted. No words can accurately convey what might have been the best concert no one saw. Youngstown wonder twins Gil Mantera’s Party Dream rocked the Sunset Tavern on Thursday the 13th, leaving a small sweaty enclave of music fans breathless and bewildered as they heightened their usual manic antics to an almost ludicrous stage show. Local opening act, The Control Keys played with the kind of enthusiasm a band would have played with to a crowd of 500. The Control Keys' album release party is on 5/26/10 at Nectar, and they strongly encourage all fans, old, new, and future to come check them out.

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