ThaBombShelter

The evening was perfect; warm and clear just like Neko's voice. This was our first show at the Chicago Theater, and my god is that a beautiful venue. With beaux-arts architecture (thanks, bronze sign on the side of the building) and gorgeous frescoes (the gigantic blue dome in the center of the auditorium ceiling was stunning), I don't think I've ever been in a nicer venue. I only wish I had pictures to share with you, unfortunately, we were forced to check our cameras at the door (much to our dismay) and so the photo above is the only one I've got from the entire show. Aside from that minor inconvenience (and the subsequent camera retrieval cluster-fuck), the show was perfect. The acoustics were sublime, the setting was ideal, and I think this experience easily ranks in my top concerts of all time.

Crooked Fingers opened the show with some fantastic boy-girl harmonies, more than I would have expected from listening to their latest disc, "Forfeit/Fortune". The set started off a bit more tame than I was hoping for, but the energy level quickly picked up as the band hit their stride and proceeded to carry us all on a journey into their world. The highlight of the set was the incredible rendition of Eric Bachmann's solo tune, "Man o' War", a song that I immediately had to buy from iTunes and have been listening to non-stop since Saturday morning. It reminded me a lot of Seeger Sessions-era Springsteen, but mostly in inflection more than anything substantial. The song itself was a rootsy, acoustic trip to heaven. Carrying on the kinder, gentler vibe, the songs that they did play from "F/F" seemed to have been pleasantly pared down to fit with the two guitars, one drummer/keyboard setup they had on the tour. As they finished up, the stage was set, the crowd was warmed up and 93 WXRT's Lynn Bramer gave an awesome intro for the main event, Neko Case.

From the very start - the fantastic, "Maybe Sparrow" - we knew we were in for a treat. Neko's voice was incredible, the sound was crisp and clear (no muddy guitars and distorted vocals here!) and each instrument was perfectly audible. She didn't veer too far from the recorded versions of the songs, but merely seeing her effortlessly blow the roof off the theater in song after song was truly something to behold. Songs like "Deep Red Bells", "Hold On, Hold On", and "Knock Loud" were just consistently stupendous.

And it wasn't just her singing tht was effortless, the banter between Neko and backup singer, Nora O'Connor, was just as effortless and hilarious as the vocals. These were truly professional musicians who felt utterly comfortable in front of the 3600 or so fans that had packed the Chicago Theater to hear a night of fantastic music (their first time playing at the venerable venue). From references to Hot Doug's (Neko's Dress) to dressing down the screaming, drunk guy a few rows in front of us, the show felt much more intimate than the cavernous auditorium it was actually in.

Overall, the show was a start-to-finish 11 out of 10. The encore was satisfying, the ambience was fantastic, the openers were great, I can't think of a better concert experience I've had in the past few months/years.

"Man O' War" Eric Bachmann
"Deep Red Bells" Neko Case
"This Tornado Loves You" Neko Case

Neko Case: Official MySpace Buy
Crooked Fingers: Official MySpace Buy

Neko Case Setlist, Chicago Theater 4-24-09

-Maybe Sparrow
-Man Eater
-Fever
-Hold On, Hold On
-The Pharoahs
-Middle Cyclone
-Deep Red Bells
-Wish I Was The Moon
-I'm an Animal
-Prison Girls
-The Tigers have Spoken
-Margaret vs. Pauline
-Red Tide
-Don't Forget Me
-Teenage Feeling
-This Tornado Loves You

*Encore*

-Don't Forget Me
-Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth
-Magpie to the Morning
-Knock Loud
-Marais La Nuit

And a bonus, the video for Eric Bachmann's, "Man o' War"