NEKO CASE - January 26 2008 - Ithaca, NY

Whoa!!

That's just about the only word that comes to mind when Neko starts her set. The audience is mesmerized, transfixed to this women belting out lyrics that sound so beautifully arranged, its a wonder how she can go from a normal conversation into any song from her catalog with such vigor. If I had to compare this to something, it would be like taking a light walk around the block with sudden bursts of energy that take your body from 1 mph to 60 mph in little more than milliseconds.

The State Theater in Ithaca was our O.K. Corral. This was where the showdown would happen, this is where the music would take place. The darkness inside provided tinges of mystery, for who is this band that's going to entertain? It's not a question of the ages, Neko Case has a strong following. Given the simple fact that we drove 2 hrs be in our seats tonight is an indication of her quality. I've been a fan of this music for years, and when I saw her write up in the paper only a day before, I knew there was only one thing to do. Pony up the bread, load ourselves into a car and drive to a land that's not really that far away.

Rin and I had never seen Neko live before. We've lived on radio air play and iPod shufflings to feed our "Nekopetite". This is how she's lived in our lives, a loan stranger with a set of pipes sent down from the heavens above. So sitting in a dark and cozy dome starring at a stage of familiar yet strangely unknown characters felt normal. And with every note, every word, every tiny tidbit the group gave to us, it washed over our spirits with a renewing energy which at some points overwhelmed. These people produce a sound that's the musical equivalent to an addicting drug. With each pick of a cord and each octave of her voice, we became addicts. Fat and musically enamored, the mystery folks on stage before us would pause to muse between songs, and at times I thought they might not be doing it for their benefit. Those slight pauses of banter or instrument swapping was our time as an audience member. It was our only chance to come up from our emotions for a much needed dose of lung filling, life supporting air! And just when you had your chance to take in a few breaths, down they'd plunge you, back into the "Nekocean." The moving of the musicians hands and feet decided the current in this vast and unfettered world. And yet as what you were hearing and experiencing crashed and rained down all around, what was falling wasn't cramping your style, it was lifting you up, building you up for yet another voyage of mystery aboard this set list ship.

We sailed an emotional Ocean, climbed over emotional peaks and descended the lowest emotional valleys. Neko and the gang have penned some of the best music I've ever heard. Rin and I agree, nothing compares to a live Neko Case show. Go if you can and bring your rations, you might not come back for a while.