Case Of Redemption

The most bothersome thing about the Phoney Neighbour Scammer wasn't so much the money, as it was the disappointment. Disappointment in me, that I could have made such an error in judgement, that my instincts had served me so poorly. And a general disappointment that my faith in human goodness was left bruised and battered.

I don't mean to overstate it. I'm sure if I had spent time in Rwanda 10 years ago, I'd be talking about a whole other level of faith in human goodness being destroyed. But still, I felt disappointed that I had decided to put my trust in this person, and I got burned.

But as much as that kind of let down is a fact of life, and a constant that runs through the human experience, we have to remember that redemption is always just around the corner. Or in this case, waiting to meet me at the corner.

It was a dark and rainy night... Well, it was!... Okay, okay. Last Saturday night, I ventured out into the steady rain to go see Neko Case and The Sadies at Lee's Palace. We were having quite a good little downpour, and I was waiting at the corner for the bus, umbrella sheltering me from the rain. Car pulls up and the driver, a 30-ish guy of vaguely Middle Eastern appearance, motions me over. I thought maybe he was looking for directions. Then I see him toss a pizza warming bag into the back seat. He leans over, opens the passenger door and asks me if I would like a ride to the subway station. I say sure, and hop in. Turns out he's a delivery driver for Pizza Hut, just on his way home, and he thought he'd give me a lift and save me from standing in the rain for maybe 10-15 minutes waiting for the bus.

What a nice guy! So he dropped me off a the Pape subway station, and I thanked him very much.

The karmic wheel must have been turning in my favour that night, because when I got to Lee's Palace, hoping that maybe there might be some tickets at the door for Neko's sold-out show, alas, the doorman said there was none...at the moment. I asked him what he meant, and he said, "Well, sometimes if you stand right over there and wait, somebody might come by with an extra ticket they're looking to sell." No sooner had the words left his mouth than the guy standing behind me, who had overheard our exchange, says he has an extra ticket he's looking to sell. Tickets were $18.50. I gave him $20 and I was in!

It was a fantastic show! They were recording both that night's show and Sunday night's show for a future live album. Video cameras were there too, for a future DVD I assume. The opening act was Jim And Jennie And The Pinetops, and they were very good bluegrassers, joined by Carolyn Mark for an opening set.

But Neko just blew the place away. She started with "Favorite" from the Canadian Amp EP. Oh man, there's a part in that song where the band falls away, and she sings "But I know that I-hiiiiiiiiy'm your favorite/And I say amen". On that "I-hiiiiiiiiiy'm" part, she just sang that so perfectly. 24 Karat twang. The whole show was marvelous. There were moments that were simply spellbinding. Even when they re-did several songs after the main set, the magic was still there.

She did mostly new songs that they were recording specifically for the live album. Kind of like Neko's Time Fades Away.

The Sadies were her backup band, along with John Rauhouse on steel guitar. Carolyn Mark and Kelly Hogan were her backup singers, both dressed in green blazers which they probably found in some menswear store's bargain bin.

But does Neko have the most wonderful voice in the world? I think maybe she does.

And they're doing it again tomorrow night and Saturday at the infamous after-hours bar The Matador. Should be a good 'n' wild one. Then she's back on the 28th at the Horseshoe. Woo!! April is Neko Month here in Toronto!