Starbody

Sunday afternoon we headed out for our first ever ZooTunes concert at the Woodland Park Zoo. Each year they host nine or so concerts with 100% of the proceeds benefitting the animals there. Although the weather forecast called for evening showers, we arrived to sunny skies and loads of people sprawled out on blankets. While enjoying a small picnic, we watched Laura Veirs (boring) and chatted with friends while waiting for Ms. Neko Case to take the stage.

Mark swore this would be a defining show for him. If she didn’t come out with a full band, it would be over. After a five year relationship and seven shows, he was calling it quits. Okay, so these weren’t his exact words. Thankfully, she came out with a band (but still sans drums) including her usual man on guitar, Jon Rauhouse (looking quite fit and healthy I might add). She opened with Favorite and led right into standards like Set Out Running, Twist The Knife and onto With Bees and Deep Red Bells from the Blacklisted album. She previewed new songs, including one I didn’t catch the name of (but is based on a story her grandmother told her). Fittingly, as she kicked off her lovely cover of Bob Dylan’s Buckets of Rain, the drops started to fall. She cheered the audience for staying through the rain with Maybe Sparrow (she introduced it as a sunny song about birds). And stay we did, until the rain literally started to pour in buckets. Eventually, we had to give up as well.

It’s always a treat both to see and hear Neko, so it was a bit disappointing to have to cut the show short. Ahh, next time. And maybe even with a drummer!