SEEKING LOVE >>>

Given the amount of mutual admiration between Olympia and the Bay Area's respective rock scenes, it's a little surprising that Christmas and Bare Wires - tourmates on a three-night Pacific Northwest jaunt that includes a stop at Northern on Friday - only just met last month. The Olympia foursome and Oakland trio became acquainted down in Austin, Texas, at the 25th Annual SXSW music conference. Ty Ziskis, co-founder of Seattle label CMRTYZ (who co-released Christmas' phenomenal self-titled full-length), prompted the encounter.

"Ty made some t-shirts for us," Bare Wires founding member Matthew Melton explains.

To read Jason Baxter's full article on Bare Wires click here.

[Northern, Bar Wires with Christmas, The Maxines, Friday, April 29, 8 p.m., All Ages, 321 Fourth Ave., Olympia, northernolympia.org]