One of the most lauded and important musicians of the 21st century, the inimitable Neko Case cut her teeth playing drums in punk bands in the Pacific Northwest in the ’80s and ’90s, eventually relocating to Vancouver for arts school, during which time she also released her debut album, The Virginian (a nod to the state of her birth), along with backing band Her Boyfriends. That early work took on a pretty traditional country bent, though Case never fully assimilated into the country world, and the alt country, folk, and Americana elements of her sound had become something of a country noir fusion of indie rock, art rock, and pop, resulting in a unique sound that’s hard to properly classify. Not long after launching her solo career, and before leaving Vancouver for Seattle (later settling in Chicago, then Arizona, then Vermont), Case joined indie and power pop collective The New Pornographers, whose 2000 debut LP Mass Romantic became a surprise hit, and turned a would-be side project until a full-time, beloved band in their own right, and one that has continued through to today (Case has remained a member, though doesn’t always tour with the group due to her own solo career).
After a sophomore effort Furnace Room Lullaby, with Her Boyfriends, Neko began releasing music under her own name, and moving towards the more moody, dark, adventurous, and eclectic sound she’s best known for, beginning with 2002’s Blacklisted, which, along with 2006 fan-favorite Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, and 2009’s Middle Cyclone, saw Case achieve broader mainstream success and fervent critical accolades, affirming her as one of the most consistently great, creative, and essential figures in modern indie rock. Her 2010s were just as impressive, releasing not only two more great solo records- 2013’s The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You and 2018’s Hell-On– but also forming a supergroup k.d. lang and Laura Veirs (think of them as Gen X’s version of boygenius), and releasing album case/lang/veirs in 2016.
After her longest break between solo albums to date, Neko Case returned with Neon Grey Midnight Green last month- a profound, intimate, and stellar return to form. In honor of that new release, the famed singer is in the midst of a fall tour, which brings her back to the area for a headlining show at The Caverns in nearby Pelham tonight, Oct. 9, along with DC punk and garage rock outfit Des Demonas, and tickets are still available right here while they last. As we feel inclined to mention any time we tell you about a show at The Caverns, this venue is one of the most unparalleled concert experiences you can have anywhere, hosting performances underground in a literal cave, and we think it’s always worth the trek from Nashville anytime an artist we love is on the calendar.
Neko Case and Des Demonas perform tonight, Oct. 9 at The Caverns in Pelham, TN. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets and camping passes are available to purchase here.