Knock Loud I'm Home

(Hey, the video worked so the Wednesday Night Music Club is in full effect. See, it’s just like Sheryl Crow except that this is based on talent and skill and ability as opposed to solely good hair. I know people don’t like the fact that I rip on Sheryl Crow all the time but after what she did to Lance Armstrong I feel she deserves it. She really busted his ball….

[Crickets]

Oh, give me a break. It’s late.)

Yep, it’s a very late night post as I just got back from seeing Rufus Wainwright and the lovely and talented Neko Case. It was a casino show, which even made Neko comment on how a) this was her first performance in a casino and b) the free turkey buffet was mighty satisfying. To be honest, this was one of the best shows I’ve seen at Harrah’s. Sound was good, as it typically is, but I was also able to get a beet in a timely fashion and the crowd was really cool. There was a minimum number of refugees from the slot machines making their way to see the performance carting their bottle of oxygen and carton of menthol lights with them. In fact, it was more of a trivia night out on the town as I ran into four other regulars at the show. See, we can do more than just answer questions on celebrity gossip.

(Though did you hear the rumor that My Beloved Lindsay may be preggers? Who’s the father? And what are the odds that the baby would be born with either a tail or gills?)

Anyway, it was a great show. You can never really fault Rufus Wainwright for his performances because he will just go all out every time. It’s not just that he decides to do some Judy Garland songs in his performance. It’s that he’ll also cover them while dressed as Judy Garland, complete with high heels and a fedora. He had a slightly different band than I’ve seen with him before but the horn section was a very nice addition. Made for a different and much fuller sound. Not sure if it matches when he had Shannon McNally and Jane Wasser singing backup but just a really solid performance.

Neko was awesome as always. It’s not like I’ll ever say anything different; I pretty much adore everything that she does. There’s something about her voice that just hits me the right way. I could listen to it all night and it truly does sound better late at night in a dark smoky club. It needs that dangerous edge to bring out the sultriness. That ties in with the fact that her music is pretty simple. I’m not sure if simple is the right word (since Jon Rauhouse does some incredible pedal steel guitar for her), maybe clean is more of what I’m going for. There’s very little artifice going on. She takes the stage wearing jeans, the banter between the band and the crowd is natural, and the focus is really on Neko and her voice. There’s no bling to the show and that’s what makes it so cool.

So tonight was Neko Case (ranked 4th on my Perfect Mate list) and next week is Kelly Willis (ranked 3rd on my Perfect Mate list). Now all I need to do is run into Natalie Portman while grocery shopping and have Julie Delpy stop by because the mailman delivered a letter to the wrong address and my month will be perfect. Hey, if you dream it it will come true, right? Isn’t that what that book they keep on pushing on me at Border’s says? At some point the universe will have to come around to my point of view.

Until then, have a great weekend everyone.