The Mysteries of Neko
Yesterday, when putting together our daily "About Tonight" feature, I scanned several recent concert reviews, looking for signs about whether or not enigmatic singer Neko Case would be performing with the New Pornographers at the 9:30 Club. It was a question anyone with tickets to last night's show (or tonight's), including myself, was asking, because Case, often busy with her solo career, has been known to skip out on New Pornographers tours before. Dan Bejar, off touring with his own band, Destroyer, was already confirmed not to be on this tour, but Case was supposed to be making the journey this time around.
I found a review of a concert held last week in Ottawa that suggested Case's presence was in question, but I didn't read it carefully enough, and said in Monday's About Tonight that I was under the impression she was not playing with the band in D.C. In reality, Case missed one date in Ottawa, but rejoined the tour the following night in Toronto, and was in fact with the band this week as well. A call to the 9:30 Club then confirmed that Case was in D.C. and scheduled to perform last night. So I posted a correction, and then a subsequent secondary apology in the Weekly Music Agenda. Based on the emails I received from incensed New Pornographers fans, I really felt terrible for getting you all so worried about the Case or no Case question. I also really hate posting incorrect information, and wanted to make sure we had it right.
But as those of us who were there last night quickly learned, turns out I was right the first time, though for the wrong reasons. Neko Case was in the District last night, but Carl Newman told the packed house she was sick, and so did not perform with the New Pornographers after all. If she's feeling better today, those of you with tickets for tonight's show may still get a chance to see her. Or you might not. Such is the way of all things Neko. When you've got a voice that powerful and expressive, I guess you get to show up when it suits you. Fair enough. Though some of us joked that we might like to have half of the cost of our $27 tickets back, seeing as how we only saw half of the New Pornographers perform.
DCist Graham has some more thoughts on the show itself after the jump. As for me, I will now be retiring from any and all further comment on Neko Case or the New Pornographers. I can't take this kind of stress.
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Did anyone who hadn't seen Okkervil River before know lead singer Will Sheff would emote so much? With his hair swept across his eyeline, Sheff -- dressed in a skinny tie and blazer -- led his band through a varied but ultimately unremarkable set last night at the 9:30. Armed with a full band and a catalog of rousing, shambling songs, it was surprisingly the slower, quieter stuff that worked best. "A Stone" (from 2005's Black Sheep Boy) was the most affecting, just Sheff and his guitar, punctuated at the end by a pretty trumpet outro. "Unless It Kicks" rocked enough to get the crowd clapping along, and even featured some Springsteen-quoting "Whoa-oh-ohs" for good measure. But for whatever reason -- really low volume, bland arrangements, or Sheff's narrow vocal range -- the set failed to touch the impressive heights of their 2007 release, The Stage Names.
You could perhaps say much of the same for the New Pornographers. They suffered from that same low volume that failed to accentuate the dense, layered arrangements of the band's records. Again, even without Case's voice to carry the group, some of the quieter, slower songs worked best. The intricate "Challengers" found Kathryn Calder filling in on vocals for Case (how would you like that job?) admirably to harmonize with Newman, while "Adventures in Solitude" was hushed enough to allow the chiming synths and melodic accordion parts to gain some separation from the rest of the mix. But you don't shell out hard-earned cash to see the Pornographers play acoustic ditties, you come for power pop gold, and, with a treasure trove like theirs, they were bound to unearth a few nuggets. Of those, I'll take "Testament to Youth in Verse" any day of the week, with its ringing, down-stroked chords and a wistful chorus ("Maybe it's not alright") lifted straight from the power pop handbook. - Graham Hough-Cornwell