POP MUSIC
Tuesday, April 11, 2006; C07
The Washington Post
Neko Case
"NPR loves tuning," Neko Case told a sold-out crowd near the end of her set at the 9:30 club Sunday. The show's live streaming on public radio's "All Songs Considered" program may have given her band a case of nerves, but for whatever reason, the 90-minute show seemed to have as much instrument-fiddling and off-the-cuff babbling as actual performance.
Of course this is Neko, and even with a self-proclaimed "hole in her throat," the country-noir goddess held her worshipers in rapture. Anyone familiar with Case's career outside the New Pornographers knew to take her deadpan opening statement with a grain of salt: "We will attempt to rock you." Instead, the performance kicked off with her out-of-this-world voice, harmonized with backup singer Kelly Hogan, bringing instant chills with the intro to "A Widow's Toast," the opening track of Case's new record, "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood." Case leaned heavily on that atmospheric album -- filled with images of blood and death -- instead of her honky-tonkish, twang-heavy early work. Also included was a softened version of Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain."
Case brought opener Martha Wainwright out to contribute to "Fox Confessor's" "Star Witness," but even that surprise guest appearance was delayed as Case, Wainwright and Hogan giggled at their not-terribly-amusing recollection of watching R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" the night before. The constant breaks after nearly every song made the performance seem more like a rehearsal, but the show was saved by the lovely melodies and vocals that interrupted the tinkering. The crowd went nuts when Case rather quickly came back for the first of two encores -- and likely let out a sigh when what immediately followed wasn't another gorgeous vocal, but more tuning.
-- Tricia Olszewski
