"PEOPLE GOT A LOTTA NERVE" AT CRYSTAL BALLROOM

Neither Kathleen nor I are big concert goers, but last night we went out to see the Neko Case concert here in Portland at the Crystal Ballroom. While I love music, I must say that with each passing year my patience for concert-going and spending time with "the masses" diminishes. I attended the first 5 Lollapalooza festivals, but by the last one my impatience and misanthropy had soared to new heights; needless to say that was the last music festival that I attended, but I digress.

The doors opened at 7PM, and we got there at 7:30. After 30 minutes of standing in a crowded balcony and $6 whiskey and amaretto sours, the warm-up act came on. He "played" an interminable set of noise and mumbling and then left the stage around 8:40. More standing. At 9PM, Neko Case finally took the stage. We were positioned in the upstairs balcony at the Crystal Ballroom, which is not the ideal location for acoustics or views when a large beam from the ceiling prevents proper sound transmission (not that we could have determined this during the opening act since he made pure noise no matter where one was stationed) and when 2 swaying lesbians (not that I have anything against that) have cut in front of you to take their places. The music was great, company notwithstanding.

Half-way through though, we decided to go to the main floor. Here, the acoustics were much better, and the swaying fans were not positioned directly in front of our faces. The set ran an hour and a half and included all the numbers I was hoping for- most of "Middle Cyclone," "Deep Red Bells," "I Wish I Was the Moon," and a few from "Fox Confessor" including "Maybe Sparrow."

I do not know what angels sound like, but it is my belief that we heard a delivery last night as celestial as one can get on this earth... when we moved to the floor that is. Neko did not sing her songs last night; belting them out is a more apt description for what she did. Despite the sore feet, swaying lesbians, and long wait, this night, in sum, was a blast, and I will be back for her next show... even if people got a lotta nerve!