Neko Case played a strong set Sunday night at the State Theatre that showed her amazing voice and her consistently great songwriting, both of which have helped to set her apart as one of the best female singer-songwriters of the last few years.

Case, backed by a stellar five piece band, played a 90 minute set that highlighted her last few studio albums. The band, which at various times featured banjo, electric and acoustic guitars, electric and upright bass, backup vocals and steel guitar, was an excellent compliment to Case’s amazing singing. The stage was set up with a video screen behind it that played some interesting videos that meshed with the songs being played. While visuals can often come across as cheesy and overdone to me, the footage shown during the set did a great job of adding a visual layer of texture to the warm Americana songs the band was playing. In addition to the video screen, there was also a giant owl overlooking the stage that added to the animal-themed nature that seems to be such a big part of Case’s repertoire.

The band started the set with a great one-two punch of “Maybe Sparrow” from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and “People Got A Lot Of Nerve” from her latest album Middle Cyclone. The band, with the exception of her quirky co-vocalist, kept a low profile and provided a steady hand that helped guide along the serene vocals from Case. Middle set highlights included a somber take on “The Most Tender Place in My Heart (Is For Strangers),” which she co-wrote with the Sadies and a charging version of “I’m an Animal.” The band also did a great cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Don’t Forget Me” before ending the set with “This Tornado Loves You.”

While the crowd was giving the band a well deserved standing ovation, they quickly came back out for a four song encore and Case started with a stripped down version of “Vengeance is Sleeping” from Middle Cyclone. The song featured only the two female vocals and some sparse guitar work, which really brought out the melancholy nature of the song. After a low key version of “Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth,” the band played “Magpie to the Morning,” both from Middle Cyclone. The band finished the set with a great take on “Knock Loud” before leaving the stage to second standing ovation that the great show had rightly earned.

Openers Crooked Fingers, fronted by former Archers of Loaf leader Eric Bachmann, opened the the night’s show with a strong 40 minute set highlighting his mellower late-career material. The songs were both restrained and charming, each featuring Bachmann mixing his vocals with his female bassist. His tunes, featuring him on both classical guitar to finger picked electric, were a melancholy and haunting take on American folk music.

[Review by Josh Keller, photos by Jon Behm]

Neko Case: Official | MySpace | Wikipedia
Crooked Fingers: Official | MySpace | Wikipedia

Also: Interview with Eric Bachmann of Crooked Fingers