And heaven met earth...

last Friday night in Lawrence, where cherubim and seraphim took a break from all their white cloud loafing-about to inhabit the bodies of Neko Case and her opening band, The Jon Rauhouse Quartet.

To try and explain the aural bliss I encountered with my buddy Josh is next to impossible (so take this guy's word for it), but I dare say that this show was the best concert I've ever been to.

Neko has this mesmerizingly powerful voice, with a sort of Patty Griffin-ish vibe. But she's louder. And crazier. And hilarious. Though both songstresses have this delightful shyness to them, you get this feeling that Patty would sip on some cammomile tea and Neko would throw back some Jack.

Oh, and there was banjoin' at this show. Lots of it.

If you haven't taken my advice and gotten hip to Neko, pick some of it up this weekend. She plays well with wine and company or coffee and a car ride...you pick.

Setlist: A Widow's Toast; Things That Scare Me; That Teenage Feeling; The Tigers Have Spoken; Lady Pilot; Maybe Sparrow; Dirty Knife; Tightly; If You Knew; Margaret vs. Pauline; Buckets of Rain; I Wish I Was the Moon; Deep Red Bells; Lion's Jaws; Train From Kansas City; Hold On, Hold On; Star Witness.

Encores: The Tigers Have Spoken; The Needle Has Landed; John Saw That Number; Knock Loud.

My concert highlights: That Teenage Feeling; I Wish I Was the Moon; John Saw That Number