We're going to go out on a limb here: the Bumbershoot announcement was released yesterday, and seriously you guys, it might be one of the best festivals of the summer. Sasquatch! is always a party, and Pickathon will be a one-of-a-kind experience -- but the lineup for this year's Bumbershoot seriously knocked it out of the park. It's fresh, relevant, exciting, and we Can. Not. Wait. for Labor Day weekend to get here already!

The video above gives a great visual introduction to all of the artists this year, but in case you just can't wait for it to play through, pop on over here and check out the whole shebang. We are most excited about Death Cab for Cutie (!!) playing Transatlanticism in its entirety (SHUT UP), Heart (SERIOUSLY!), MGMT, Tegan and Sara, Allen Stone, Matt and Kim, The Breeders (!!!!!), !!! (!), Deerhunter, Charles Bradley (<3), Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, The Zombies, David Bazan, Mates of State, Superchunk (!!!), Diamond Rings, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, Ramona Falls, Matt Pond, The Grizzled Mighty, Kithkin, 15 Years of Barsuk Records (celebrating Barsuk's 15th anniversary) (<3 <3 <3!!), and more, more, more.

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This Thursday (4/25), Tullycraft and BOAT will take to the DJ decks at Saint John’s to battle it out Seattle pop band stylee.  

If two bands could be brothers separated at birth, it would be these two groups of guys (and one very sweet lady).  Both have brand new records out (each with an LP version on fancy colored vinyl), both are on Magic Marker Records, and both bands have a very near and dear place in our imaginary hearts because they write amazing pop songs deserving of placement in a beer commercial.

From 5pm-8pm (those are some *happy* hours), the two bands will take turns playing a song or two from their new albums as well as selections that inspired their own songs.  Since they love music as much as you and I do, there will also be a bunch of dusty gems (in the form of OOP b-sides and the like) unearthed from their record collections that will make us all scream with delight.  

Both BOAT and Tullycraft have promised to "embarrass and delight each other, and hopefully you too."

Added bonus, Saint John's (719 E Pike, in Capitol Hill) has super tasty drink and munchable happy hour specials to fill your tummy as you listen to all those super tasty tunes. And it's all FREE! 21+.

HOLD UP. Miss Janeane Garofalo is coming to The Neptune Thursday night and I didn't know until NOW? I am failing as a super-fan. 

I fell for Janeane in the 90s during her heyday -- loving her clever sarcasm to death right along with her blunt bangs, long dark hair, and quirky vintage style (best dance ever in Realty Bites. EVER). When Barbara Walters interviewed her, she said that Garofalo steals every movie scene she's in, and she's not lying. I own a copy of The Truth About Cats and Dogs, and I still maintain to this day that she was, is, and will always be hotter than Uma Thurman. But enough about my JG lust -- let's talk stand-up. 

This girl is funny. And I say that as someone who generally doesn't dig on stand-up. But I have a good feeling about this, you guys. Garofalo's got serious chops, and digging around on YouTube tells me she's just as awesome as ever. So I'll be blowing drinks out of my nose near the front of the stage this week. Come join me! 

{STG Presents Janeane Garofalo at The Neptune | Thursday, April 11 | Doors @ 7, Show @ 8 | All Ages, Bar w/I.D. | $22.50 adv, $25 day of} 

Longstanding imaginary favorite Rhett Miller is nothing if not consistent, and if you want to spend your night listening to sharply crafted, well-delivered odes about girls, cars, and the ensuing heartache between, you'd best get yourself to the Triple Door tonight. The Old 97's frontman will be headlining Seattle's best dine-while-you-swoon venue, and while his show is well worth the entirety of the ticket price, local songstress Shelby Earl will be opening up the show.

Shelby's been keeping busy with her own shows, opening for Ben Gibbard, and putting the finishing touches on a new album {read our imaginary interview here for more on that}, and if you haven't heard her compelling, storyteller croon yet, you're truly missing out. Give a listen at her Facebook page, or spin this track from her last album, Burn The Boats:

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If you've been within shouting distance of me anytime in the last two weeks, you've undoubtedly heard me talking about The Orwells, specifically their 2012 release, Remember When. I first heard these kids on Greg Vandy's Best-Of-The-Year Roadhouse show on KEXP at the end of December, and now that I've got the album in-hand, I can't listen to anything else. It's gritty, sloppy-tight Chicago post-garage, mostly about girls and death. Take a listen to "In My Bed" (below).

This band makes me want to bust out of a high school classroom and blow off my classes to take pills, hang out with my friends, and pretend to be disinterested in girls -- all in some kind of lo-fi frame-skipping movie sequence. Get the whole album direct and leave it on repeat until Saturday, when they come to town to play The Crocodile with Wimps (!!!!!).

While you're picking up that Orwells album, PS, click above and go get the Wimps demo FOR FREE. These will be the best two moves you make today, I promise.

{All ages / $12 adv / Wimps and Grim Smiley open. Tickets available here. Orwells photo courtesy of the band.}

Lesli Wood (of The Redwood Plan) with Jupe Jupe last year at DOTV7.
Photo by: Ben Haley 

Every year I tell you guys to get tickets to Jenny George's annual Dancing on the Valentine benefit show, and every year you listen to me, so I figure there's no reason to stop now! As previously mentioned, this year's show theme is A Cure for Leukemia - featuring local bands covering songs by The Cure, with all proceeds from tickets and raffles going to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Jenny drops the grand total off at their door each year on her birthday, and it's truly a thing of joy to watch. Last year we raised a total of $7, 714.83, and this year they're gunning for at least $10,000 with a bigger venue at Neumos, and an online art auction that's will run through the weekend. (PSST: There's still a chance to bid on some amazing pieces and get them for an awesome price!!!). 

In addition to the all the kick-ass music, Ben Haley's famous photo booth, tunes by DJ Mike Steve, and Jenny's son Atticus making a special appearance, DOTV has teamed up with Uber to offer 50% off rides to and from the show (just enter code SEADOTV before requesting a car on your Uber app!), and partnered with both KEXP and CityArts Magazine for some much-appreciated support! 

Dancing on the Valentine: A Cure for Leukemia is THIS Saturday! Doors at 8pm, tix $15, 21+ at Neumos. Get tickets now at Sonic Boom, or online here. This show has sold out the past 3 years! So DO NOT wait. To entice you further, I've included a breakdown of the bands playing this year after the jump - along with a list of the raffles we're going to bundle up for the. best. raffle. prizes. EVER. 

Who's going to join me for some Hot Hot Hot times on Saturday!?!?!

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Erin Stewart as Yitzhak and Jerrik Hoffer as Hedwig!
Photo by: Christopher Nelson

Before last week, I had only ever seen Hedwig on film. Being one of the movies I love SO dearly, I was both excited and nervous about seeing it on the stage. I mean, I KNEW I'd love the story itself, because it's fantastically written, and it was performed as a stage play to begin with. But still. Would this production live up to my high expectations? Would Hoffer be able to channel Hedwig as well as John Cameron Mitchell? And most importantly, would I be able to sing along to all my favorite songs? 

The answer to (most) of these things is a resounding HELL YES. 

Jerrik Hoffer is AMAZING as Hedwig. By the second song, I was like "JohnCameronWHO?" (kidding JCM! kidding. I still love you!). But no, seriously. You guys. Hoffer rocks the shit out of this role, as does Erin Stewart as Hedwig's long-suffering love, Yitzhak -- and they are ably backed by a band composed of local guys who play their instruments and comedic back-up roles with equal skill. 

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It's looking like my first show of 2013 is going to be (a) most excellent and (b) out of town! Our imaginary pal Eef Barzelay, along with The Heligoats, will be at Blue Horse Gallery in Bellingham next Friday, January 11th -- and I personally can't think of a better start to the year than a double-header of smarty, achy-hearted, alt.indie songwriter bliss. 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it will likely be the best ten bucks you spend all week, friends. Having never been, it looks like the gallery is a great, intimate space that will be the perfect backdrop for these two. We'll see you up north!

Happy Friday! You know what that means, right? Well, besides the end of the work week, of course, it means that a mere seven days from now, we'll be gearing up for the Imaginary Holiday Spectacular at Chop Suey, full of friends and good cheer. On Monday we told you a little bit more about show openers Brite Lines and our pal Chris Otepka, and today we'd like to get into our middle-set stars, Cristina Bautista and Leif Anders.

We've loved Cristina B. oh-so-muchly for as long as we can remember, from her time in Connecticut Four to her days as a member of Visqueen {photo above from Visqueen's Last Show at the Neptune, RIP} to her much-loved recent excursions as a solo artist. If you only know Cristina in one of her previous incarnations, take a trip on over to her website to get a sample of her sound. It's sweetly upbeat without sounding saccharine, clean and gritty alt.pop without the pomp and circumstance, all while remaining decidedly Pacific Northwest: Gold Parts, specifically, is a soundtrack for the days when you need to kick ass (or be kicked in the ass) -- and fills those train-out-the-window movie-scene grey-day quotas we need filled around here in the wintertime too. [Editor's note: Am I the only one who thinks "Long Divisions" should be synced up with some kind of tormented day-starting modern-day Angela Chase scene in whatever the 2012 My So-Called Life equivalent is? I can't be!] 

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Happy Monday, imaginary friends! We're here bright and early this morning to start the week off right: there's just two weeks until our annual Holiday Spectacular {taking place on Friday, December 21st at Chop Suey}, and that gives us just enough time to get you as excited about the bands taking the stage as we are. Off we go!

First up, a familiar face: Chris Otepka of The Heligoats. If you think you recognize Chris from last year's party, you're right -- we adore him so much, we had to have him come and play for us again this year! We've waxed on and on about all the things we love about Chris, from his quirky songwriting perspective to his charming, bard-like delivery. If you know his sound, you know why we're so excited to have him back for this year's lineup -- and if you don't, check out some of his internet on his Facebook page, and then come to the show early and catch some of his beautiful deliriousness for yourself. Chris will be taking the stage second, after our show openers Brite Lines. 

{Superfans, take note: The Heligoats have a new album in the works! It will be available in February, so keep your eyes here for release details and supporting tour dates.} 

Brite Lines is fronted by our pal Zach Gore, and even in the band's simplicity, they span such a wide array of adjective from song to song (as evidenced on this year's EP Make Shift) that they're hard to sum up in a few short sentences. The music is earnest, rooted in New America; part haunted songwriter; broken-hearted and hopeful, with an all-encompassing catchy post-indie rock folk vibe. Somewhere between the pain of breaking up with your last girlfriend and the day that the sun finally shines through the clouds on your face lies your allegiance to this band. 

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