Vanessa Kafka @ TT the Bears Place, Cambridge
September 19th, 2008 - by Eddie
An old friend turned me on to local Boston singer-songwriter Vanessa Kafka a couple of months ago and I was immediately drawn in by the the whole pop-sounding, girl with a guitar thing that she has going on. Tonight (I’m just as shocked as you are that I’m being prompt with the write-up), was her first since she dropped her newest release “Into Place,” which you can see above.
The timing of everything seemed right. The weather in Boston is starting to cool (got to wear a jacket tonight with a hoodie), which makes discovering a new acoustic-guitar based band all the more fitting.
I got there just in time and immediately ordered a Miller High Life (it seems to be my beer of choice when I’m discovering new things like bands, food and hidden talents).
This was Kafka’s first show since her album was released on Sept. 16 and it gave the show a certain electric feel. It’s always special to be there for the birth of an artist and to see how she handles this new-found position on stage.
With equal parts giddy (”I have merch! How cool is that?”) and vulnerability in her voice, it was easy to tell that this moment, standing on stage and looking out to a crowd of friends, was special for her.
But something else shined through. Towards the end of her short set, she played a song called “Tell Me So,” a song that has Kafka picking at the guitar while she sings about love. At the show, it was one of the only times where Kafka seemed to be someone else on stage, when the artist inside was coming out and she was doing more than simply playing music.
Vanessa Kafka - Tell Me So
From there, she launched into her fan-favorite/indie hit “Silhouette,” an insanely catchy tune made that would be at home on a soundtrack to a movie about a roadtrip out West (or even during a “special” moment on Grey’s Anatomy…I don’t watch the show I swear).
Vanessa Kafka - Silhouette
The melody stayed rattling around in my head as I drove with the windows down, taking in the autumn air, wondering what other musical finds would come my way this season…and how many new artists will have their big moment at TTs.
