Neko Case @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown NY 1/25/08

You know her voice by now -that lush, velvet siren call. Yet to hear Neko Case in a live context is a rare, remarkable experience in which a voice comes to life, popping off the record and literally filling the room with sound. It might sound like I'm gushing. And to some extent I undoubtedly am, but honestly I can think of so few female singer-songwriters I admire half as much.
Think about it. This is a alt-country chanteuse who has written murder ballads based on Ukrainian folklore and still managed to snag a guest appearance on the Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force?! (check out the below pic), while simultaneously infiltrating the Starbucks marketplace and holding down a cushy part-time gig in the New Pornographers. Who wouldn't want to be her?

This is to say nothing of how modest, down-to-earth and unpretentious she is. Following her set, in the gorgeous antique theater she met with fans for photos and autographs. As I gathered near her for a picture, she warned me she might smell (she didn't). But that candor and honesty was probably the most charming thing I've heard this side of a Jens Lekman concert.

Favorite - Neko Case (Off 2001's Canadian Amp now available only on tour.)