You may know Neko in her own right, or you may be familiar with Ms. Case's most recent alter-ego in the band, The New Pornographers. I remember seeing her perform with the Pornographers. She was pushed to the side of the stage, her presence an afterthought. That said, Neko's solo performance at Starr Hill showed that she can hold her own despite her image as just another attractive female performer.
Backed by The Sadies, Ms. Case took the stage emoting laid-back genius in a brown T-shirt. A motley assortment of men, these guys have recorded albums with Neko since 1998. The Sadies served as a foot-stompin', hand-clappin' opening band that brought the crowd to the verge of line-dancing with their country charm and pop sensibilities. The lead singer addressed his microphone like a lost lover, teeth bared in fraught emotion, vocals emitted in a bittersweet and rousing baritone.
Neko's visit to Starr Hill was precipitated by the recent release of her latest charming and alluring album, The Tigers Have Spoken. A combination of live tracks and covers, the album is full of the spontaneity and sincerity for which Ms. Case is known. Wednesday night's set list featured songs off the album, including the haunting and beautiful "If You Knew," a song that brilliantly compares the pain of a relationship to the pain of a captive tiger.
The crowd was full of long-time fans, with a handful of new ones brought into the fold by The Tigers Have Spoken. Despite vocals reminiscent of Patsy Cline and a strong country twang, Neko's style attracted a healthy mixture of students and locals.
During the set break between The Sadies and Neko Case, the pedantic Bad Company song, "Feel Like Makin' Love" was looped, inspiring a running joke through Neko's set -- she ironically contemplated singing along to the track. After audience encouragement, she ended the night with an encore rendition of the chorus from "Feel Like Makin' Love."
This show marked Neko's Charlottesville debut, but she's welcome back any time. The people have spoken.
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