By: David Rachac
It has been a whirlwind couple of years for Anna Nalick. She was in high school when one of her lo-fi demos found its way into the hands of a production team comprised of founding members of the alternative rock group Blind Melon. Recording her debut CD with musicians who worked with everyone from Sheryl Crow to Beck to Tori Amos, Wreck Of The Day hit gold on the strength of last summer's top-40 hit "Breathe (2 A.M.)". Tours with the Wallflowers, Howie Day and Rob Thomas has kept Nalick on the road as an opening act for over a year, but when she looked out at the crowd packed into the Fine Line Wednesday night, she said "I could totally get used to this headliner thing!"
Musically, Nalick resides somewhere between an upbeat Aimee Mann and a kinder, gentler Evanescence. On her slower songs, she sings with a warmth and wisdom rarely heard from a performer in her early 20s, but it is in her up-tempo songs where she lets loose her operatic voice and really belts it out. Her stripped down band, consisting of a drummer, a guitarist and a bass player, provided a harder-edged mix than what's heard on the CD, but it gave her voice plenty of space to fill the room. With her repertoire of sweet-but-not-saccharine ballads and bottom-heavy arena rockers, Nalick's appeal bridges gender and generation gaps with ease.
Seeing Nalick live last year, I was impressed by her sound but was a little put off by her constant hyperactive chatter in between songs. She was a little better about that (at least early) during this show, but I have come to admire the rapport she has with her fans and the way she is totally spontaneous with her comments and not afraid to poke fun at herself. Just before starting "Forever Love," she asked the sound guy "Is there a way you can add a little reverb so I can sound a little more angelic?" before breaking into laughter.
Midway through the show, she asked the audience what they thought of her self-described "punk princess" look. When one guy yelled "Take it off!," she flipped him the bird, but then apologized, saying that her mom always gets mad when she hears that she gave someone the finger. But she also suggested that he could go to a strip club for a lot less money than he paid to get into the Fine Line, to which the audience loudly applauded.
Following "Wreck Of The Day" (the only song on which she played guitar), she said it was in Minnesota where she saw snow for the first time and talked about making snow angels and forts. When someone in the audience suggested she write a song about it, the band kicked into a funk groove to which Nalick was supposed to freestyle lyrics. It was predictably horrible, but everyone had a good laugh, including Nalick herself.
After completing "In The Rough," Nalick asked a woman who was singing along, "Are you singing into your Coors Light? That's the cutest and strangest thing I've ever seen." Handing the fan her microphone, the band kicked back into the chorus, and the fan jumped in with a fairly spot-on imitation of Nalick's voice. The fan's willingness to sing in front of strangers won high praise from Nalick, who said "The first time Rob Thomas asked me to sing, I almost passed out!"
All told, Nalick and her band played all eleven songs off of her CD, as well as a credible cover of Blondie's "Hanging On The Telephone". For someone who is in the early part of her career, it is amazing to see such a level of confidence and ability to engage an audience. No doubt this is the last time we'll be seeing her playing club-level gigs. The crowd's enthusiastic response to her performance demonstrated that she is destined for much larger stages in the years to come.
Set List
Citadel
Paper Bag
Forever Love (Digame)
Consider This
In My Head
Hanging On The Telephone (Blondie Cover)
Home
Wreck Of The Day
["Minnesota" Freestyle]
In The Rough
Breathe (2 A.M.)
Bleed
Catalyst
Satellite
Photo by David Rachac.
Location Info:
Fine Line Music Café
Artist Info: Anna Nalick
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