If you're lucky-- and in the U.S.-- Imaginary Cities will soon be coming to a city near you.
They stopped by Windsor last November for a show at the Phog Lounge, along with Windsor's Menos Mal, and improbably, Ferndale, Michigan's Child Bite. Not your average punk band, Child Bite's progressive, complex rock was an interesting segue to Imaginary Cities' alt pop.
"Motown" is an adjective frequently associated with the band's sound (read about their adventures at Detroit's Fox Theatre when they toured with The Pixies last year) but Winnipeg is a long way from Detroit. You'll hear some Motown inflections in lead singer Marti Sarbit's distinctive voice-- think of an oboe with chops-- and some R&B/soul influences in the music, yet it's a mistake to pigeonhole Imaginary Cities into the current retro trend. Teamed with the talented Rusty Matyas, and backed by Ryan Voth on drums and David Landreth on bass on tour, the past for Imaginary Cities isn't a crutch, but a creative launch. Their first album is called Temporary Resident; if their early success is any indication (and even if they never make another album), they'll be taking up permanent residency in Canadian indie.
Dates for their upcoming, and first, U.S. tour. Lansing on Jun. 8 is their only Michigan stop:
5.15, 2012 New York – Mercury Lounge
5.16, 2012 Philadelphia – North Star Bar
5.17, 2012 Washington, DC – Black Cat*
5.18, 2012 Charlotte, NC – Amos’ Southend*
5.19, 2012 Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern*
5.21, 2012 Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre*
5.22, 2012 Nashville, TN Rocketown*
5.24, 2012 Oklahoma City, OK – ACM@UCO*
5.25, 2012 San Antonio, TX – White Rabbit *
5.26, 2012 Dallas, TX – The Door*
5.28, 2012 Little Rock, AR – Downtown Music Hall*
5.29, 2012 Springfield, MO – Outland Ballroom*
5.30, 2012 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room*
6.01, 2012 Columbia, MO – The Blue Note*
6.02, 2012 Iowa City, IA – Blue Moose Tap House*
6.04, 2012 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock*
6.05, 2012 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom*
6.06, 2012 Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre*
6.07, 2012 Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theatre*
6.08, 2012 Lansing, MI – The Loft at Harem Urban Lounge*
6.09, 2012 Toronto, ON – The Mod Club *
6.11, 2012 Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall*
6.12, 2012 So. Burlington, VT – Higher Ground*
6.13, 2012 Northampton, MA – Pearl Street*
6.14, 2012 Pawtucket, RI – The Met*
6.15, 2012 Hoboken, NJ – Maxwell’s*
6.16, 2012 Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony*
* w/ MewithoutYou & Buried Beds
