neko case = tara's perfectly broken heart

So Saturday we strolled down to Bloor Street to see Neko Case at Trinity St Paul's Church and I feel like my life is forever changed. Like one of those musical experiences that you just can't shake and makes you all misty-eyed when you recall it. That's what those hours were like for me and below are the reasons why:

• It was in an amazing old glorious church. Every band should be required to play in churches and churches only. Churches and Massey Hall.
• Neko said she's been wanting to play that venue for 15 years. Her joy at finally standing there was evident from every spot in that church;
• She is so cool that she keeps her guitar pics in her bra;
• Even though she's gorgeous and came out in a slinky red dress and great shoes, she still managed to look like a little girl playing dress up in her mother's clothes;
• Oh who's that coming up onto the stage with a big beard, giant hat and an accordion you ask??? Oh it's only Garth F-ing Hudson!!!!!!
• Neko herself got weepy with Garth standing next to her, she was so happy;
• Finally seeing Neko play live with Kelly Hogan - there are no 2 voices in this world better matched than those 2 ladies;
• The sound in that church came right at you, whipped past your ears, bounced off the wall behind you, came up your back, over your head and landed right square in your belly. Every single note of it. When she started singing "I Wish I Was the Moon" and it's just her voice and when she hit that note in "Favourite" (you know the note) - I bet if you went back to that church today those notes would still be reverberating somewhere near the ceiling. I was telling a friend about it today and both my arms went goosebumpy even just by retelling it;
• She had, quite possibly, one of the best visual concert components I've seen in a long while - maybe even better than Wilco's. Seriously check out that owl!;
• Did I mention Garth Hudson? I think Marc's Band loving heart jumped right out of his chest and over the balcony;
• During "People Got a Lot of Nerve" I was so proud of myself for not jumping up on the stage, pushing Kelly Hogan out of the way, grabbing her tambourine and singing the chorus myself - I'm a man, man, man, man, man, man eaterrrrrrr!!!" *tambourine tambourine tambourine*
• I am not a vocalist by any stretch of the imagination but even I can recognize that there are few performers that can work a microphone as well as Neko Case and that most singers could learn a thing or two from her technique;
• As if her Harry Nilsson cover wasn't already pure brilliance - hearing it live and with Garth Hudson might make it the best cover version ever attempted.

I feel like I could go on all night about this show. When it was over, I felt like my heart was breaking. Like I almost couldn't handle any more of anything. Like I needed to sit in a dark room for about an hour just so I could function normally in public. This is what truly great concert experiences do to me, no word of exaggeration. It doesn't happen to that extent very often but when it does, it's a state I never want to leave. She's playing Massey Hall in July and that news is almost enough to send me right back. My favourite female performer in my most favourite venue ever????? I have about 15 different things in July but I don't care about any of them right now and will cancel anything in favour of that show.

Sigh.......that is about all I can think about right now.

*photo courtesy of Chromewaves and we are about a millimetre from being in this shot*