A Defiant Creature

Neko Case at First Avenue

Ashley Sudeta

I didn’t know what to expect from a Neko Case concert. Her three decades of work spans genres—from country noir to “odd rock”—making it hard to pin down a single audience. Despite this expansiveness, every detail of the night found a way to make sense and feel just right.  

First Avenue was packed with people from every generation. Most were dressed in their Minnesota finest—jeans and flannels. The atmosphere wasn’t overly energetic, but alert and focused. Heads bobbed, bodies swayed, and phones remained pocketed. Every lyric was taken in when Washington D.C.’s “Des Demonas” took the stage. They played an exciting blend of post punk, funk, and Afrobeat. Their singer, Jacky Cougar Abok, shouted unapologetically political lyrics, declaring: “If it wasn’t for the wars that destroyed your world, we’d still be the wards of colonial lords” in their song “Apocalyptic Boom Boom.”

Neko Case took the stage with the warm, assuring demeanor of an old friend. It didn’t feel like she was performing as much as sharing something special with us. Her voice carried an ethereal, soul-rending power, as clear and haunting as a dog’s sad howl. I was thrilled to recognize most of the songs as Case glided through a mix of older favorites and songs from her recent album, “Neon Grey Midnight Green.” Instruments changed between songs, providing bursts of fresh sounds. Case picked up her four-stringed tenor guitar for “Deep Red Bells,” and a breathtaking saxophone solo rang out during “Tomboy Gold.”

Hearing the story behind certain songs only made them sweeter. One of my favorites, “Destination,” was inspired by queer women and nonbinary individuals in the music industry defying men’s criticism. Case, who is gender fluid and uses she/her pronouns, embraced this attitude while self-producing her latest album.

Case knows how to be multiple things at once. She’s both grounded in the animal and limitless as a tornado. It makes sense that her concert was both soothing and invigorating. It was entertainment with consciousness, stirring up a defiant joy.