You like Fences. You like Campfire OK. You have twelve dollars. You should be at Neumos on Saturday night.

What's that, you say? Don't have twelve dollars? Well, as the old folks like to put it -- today is your lucky day! Because our lovely friends over at Neumos have a pair of tickets to give away for this Saturday-night-ful all-ages show: just shoot us an email to tig {at} threeimaginarygirls {dot} com with the subject line "AFenceAndACampfire" to be entered to win! We'll choose a lucky winner +1 to attend the show gratis by Thursday at 4p, so make sure'n get your entries in before then.

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We've said it before, we're saying it now, and we'll keep on sayin' it until the cows come home: we loves us some Hey Marseilles.

A little more seasoned these days, this local septet is one of those bands you want to catch every chance you get -- and thankfully for us, they'll be gracing the sweet stage of Columbia City Theater with their alt.orchestra.indiepop sound this Saturday. And as if one of our favorite bands at one of our favorite venues isn't enough to make for a stellar night, Fences will be opening up the show, fresh off a week of stellar performances at CMJ out on the East coast. For the win, indeed!

If you're able to get out to the show on the early side, make sure you do -- there's an opening reception going on from 6-9pm for November's art installation in the Bourbon Bar that you won't want to miss. Photographer Dylan Priest will be exhibiting shots from this summer's famed weekend out at Doe Bay, where Hey Marseilles and Fences both took the stage, among a slew of other talented acts. The reception is free, but the show is not -- make sure you take a moment to pick up a ticket before heading out! {21+ / $12 adv / 9pm}

Thanks to the talented Hayley Young for the gorgeous photo!

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As our friends over at Sound on the Sound aptly described it, many locals have a preconceived notion of Fences and the man behind it, be it good or bad. We're here to happily report that our notions our good, our opinions are sound, and our arms are open to embrace all the awesomeness that Fences has been bringing (and continues to bring) to the table since he re-emerged from behind the proverbial couch last fall. From opening spots to headlining gigs to packing the Sky Church at Bumbershoot, Fences just keeps getting better, keeps getting bigger. And if by some stroke of insanity you haven't heard of him -- lately or ever -- fret not. There's a slew of shows about to knock your socks off, with a stellar new album to back it all up, thus implanting Christopher Mansfield & Co. firmly on your radar.

For starters, you can check out tonight's album release at the Crocodile, where Fences will be playing with Richie Young and Campfire OK -- and then catch them on any one of the dates on their upcoming tour, with everybody-in-the-PNW's new sweethearts, The Head and the Heart:

09.23  Crocodile Cafe, Seattle WA {click to buy tickets!}
09.24  Mississippi Studios, Portland OR
09.25  The Green Frog, Bellingham WA
09.27  The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver BC
09.28  Sonic Boom (Ballard), Seattle WA **
10.03  Zooey's, Ventura CA
10.04  Silverlake Lounge, Los Angeles CA
10.05  Alex's Bar, Long Beach CA
10.06  The Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco CA
10.07  Sophia's Thai Kitchen, Davis CA
10.08 Sam Bond's Garage, Eugene OR

**This is an all-ages in-store, and will not have opening acts.

And for seconds, you can stay tuned for our upcoming album review -- we're super-excited to share our thoughts about Fences' debut full-length! (If you can't wait and can't make it out to any of the shows, though, just mosey on over to the Fences website and pick up a copy for yourself. Be sure and tell them the imaginary camp sent you! Maybe they'll kick you a free sticker or something?)

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Somehow, in the avalanche of amazing bands at Seattle Center this past weekend, we managed to scrawl some furious notes on a fistful of locals and indie bands that brought the noise / love / ache / bliss. Here's a few of our picks to start the best-of Bumbershoot chatter that we'd like to share, in no particular order:

1. David Bazan at the KEXP 'Secret Stage'

It's no secret at all that KEXP's hideout is one of the best things about Bumbershoot: a great selection of all the best acts of the weekend, in a cushy, sit-down theater that's got impeccable sound and flawless sightlines. Thanks to a thoughtful friend, we had two seats for the 1:15pm Sunday performance -- and sat rapt with attention while the band proceeded to rip the roof right off from above us. Longtime fans of Bazan's solo work and earlier Pedro The Lion need not hate on this revamped sound: the new (and reworked versions of older) songs are nothing short of big-guitar bring-it-ness. Anthematic, cinematic renditions from Curse Your Branches had us covered in goosebumps; and the six-song power set left us both satiated and eagerly anticipating the next show -- you can catch David Bazan + Band (with the lovely Head and the Heart opening) at the Showbox over Thanksgiving Weekend.

2. The Tripwires at the Mural

Honestly, I can't think of a better way to start a festival day than with a full-frontal rawk set from some of Seattle's very own power-pop royalty foursome, the Tripwires. Promptly at 11:45am, the band took to the Mural stage and shot a big bag of awesome into the waiting arms of the still-caffienating crowd. Opening with "Let's Get You Started" (one of the best tracks off their newest album, House to House), they set the tone -- and the standard -- for a truly excellent day. Sangster + Sangster + Ramberg + Pickerel + espresso + sunshine = a brunch-rock set to remember.

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at Neumos

The sold out Stranger / Three Imaginary Girls SXSW Sendoff Show at Neumo's on Friday was amazing. Here are some photos featuring our local loves: Fences, Mash Hall, Hey Marseilles and Visqueen.

See more after the jump!

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It's finally here! Tonight's the big night, and we hope you'll all be joining us for our very imaginary SXSW sendoff hootenanny at Neumo's! Doors are at 8, and tickets are going fast -- so make sure you get down there early.

We've told you about Fences, Mash Hall and Hey Marseilles over the last few days, and now it's time to give you some scoop on our headliner: Visqueen. Bringing big guitars, tight vocals, and catchy songwriting to the stage for as long as our imaginary hearts knew how to swoon, Visqueen is jumping on the success of their last album Message to Garcia and taking the show on the road. Literally.

March 13   Boise, ID @ the Record Exchange
March 13   Boise, ID @ Neurolux
March 14   Denver, CO @ Lion's Lair Lounge
March 16-21 SXSW
March 22   Tuscon, AZ @ Plush
March 23   Las Vegas, NV @ Thunderbird Lounge

Let's start them (and the rest of our fabulous favorite-ist bands) out right with a Seattle-worthy farewell tonight -- we'll see you all there!

Mash Hall and Fences are the first bands on the bill this Friday at Neumo's, and trust us when we tell you: you're going to want to be there early enough to catch both of their sets. Seriously.

Having gone through some positive shake-ups as of late -- Mash Hall with a moniker change, and Fences with some rad additions to their lineup -- these two local favorites are polishing up their best shoes and bringing us a taste of what they've got in store for Austin (and the rest of 2010). Make sure you come check them both out this Friday -- and in the meantime, here's a peek at some recent creative output from these two local favorites.

{PS: Tickets are only $10 and they're going fast -- take advantage of the pre-show price and pick yours up today!}

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Come and get your gee-haw on this Friday night at Neumo's -- on us!

That's right, we're giving away a pair of tickets to the show of the week, our very own SXSW 2010 Sendoff! You can rage along to Visqueen's big guitars, swoon to the orchestral-pop melodies of Hey Marseilles, get your groove on with Mash Hall, and warm your night up right with Fences -- all under one roof! (And PS -- tickets are only ten dollars in advance. Ten! It's a steal at twice the price!)

Just send an email to tig@threeimaginarygirls.com with the subject line, "Let'sGetReadyToSX!" by this Thursday, March 4th at 10am, and tell us why you and your +1 should be our lucky guests.

Good luck -- we'll see you all at the show!

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Three Imaginary Girls, The Stranger, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Neumo's are proud to present Hootenanny! -- our very own SXSW sendoff party for 2010 -- with Visqueen, Hey Marseilles, Mash Hall (formerly known as They Live!), and Fences on Friday, March 5th at Neumo's.

It's that time of year again, kids -- where we all steel ourselves for some couchsurfing, and start making our wishlists for the bands we can't miss -- yes, it's time to head down to Austin for SXSW 2010! And to celebrate, we'd love for you to join our sendoff party at Neumo's on Friday, March 5th. Come join us as we wish our favorite ladies and gents well before they hit the road... tickets for this 21+ show are only $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Expect a downright rager of a night, with local big-guitar all-stars Visqueen headlining the bill, and Hey Marseilles bringing their lush, alt.indie.orchestral songwriting skills to the stage. On top of that magic, Mash Hall and everyone's favorite Fences will be rounding out the opening support -- doors are at 8pm and you won't want to miss a minute of this lineup. So make sure you're on the hill nice and early!

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It may feel like we're a bit obsessed with Seattle songster Fences as of late... but with performances like the one of this past Friday {opening for St. Vincent} and photos like the above {courtesy of fabulous photographer Lori Paulson}, we can't help it!

Did you make it into the sold-out show? How was it?

Or, did your weekend include other stops... whatja do?!?!

Want to see what other folks did this weekend? Check out the TIG Flickr Photo Pool {and add your own photos too}!