Welcome to the pond

Last night I went to see Keri Noble perform. This was my second time seeing her and it was even better this time. It was held in a cafe-style building with a pizza place and a coffee bar and internet terminals. There's a stage set up on one wall and tables set up in front of that. It's a very cool, intimate setup and great for performers like Keri.

My friend and I got there about 20 minutes before showtime and got a table just feet away from the stage. We saw a blond-haired woman walking around before showtime, using the computers and chatting with people, and thought it could be Keri. It WAS Keri, and we thought it was cool that she was so casual and open before her performance.

She played for an hour and 15 minutes or so. She said she wanted to forget a setlist and just play songs for fun the whole night, and that's exactly what she did. She played a few selections from her debut album Fearless, a couple new songs from her upcoming record, and many other songs that I didn't recognize, and a few covers too. She was very easygoing and enjoyed the audience. She and her guitarist/producer Jeff told stories and laughed and even gave a free CD to a woman in the audience who correctly guessed the writer of a particular song. Her vocals were very passionate and her piano playing was both delicate and intense. She gave the audience a wonderful, intimate performance and really connected with all of us. . .

all 25 of us! There really wasn't a huge turnout for the show, even with a $5 cover. I thought more people would show up after seeing her open for Jonny Lang in March. Even though there wasn't a huge crowd, I thought that made for a better experience. It gave Keri a chance to really connect with the audience and play for each of us as opposed to playing for a huge crowd of endless faces she couldn't see. The vibe was very much a laid-back, coffeehouse, playing for whoever shows up kind of vibe. Keri said it reminded her of when she started out performing and that she missed it. I really hope our small audience gave her the feeling she was looking for.

After the show she went up to the front table to talk to people and sign CDs. It was more of a "hanging out with the performer after the show" thing rather than a "line up for the obligatory autograph and handshake" sort of thing. I already have her autograph, but I got one for my friend Jess. I told her I liked her show and I gave her a hello from Deni, whom she remembered from her days opening for Cyndi Lauper. She's really great with her fans and seems like a down to earth woman who might go to a show like this if she wasn't the one actually doing the show. I loved her show and I'm glad I got to see her again in a much more up-close setting.