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?)

Need more convincing? Dig on this awesome, awesome video that the GIVE folks put out last year:

[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g15_VtLZIxE&feature=player_embedded]

Safe travels, everyone! We’ll see you back in the PNW in October.