Hot off the heels of releasing Wild Creatures, a career spanning retrospective, Neko Case returned to the Vogue Theatre (where I had seen her about six months prior alongside The New Pornographers).

To kick off her set, Neko Case (and her signature skeleton pants) took the stage with only a couple band members for the stripped down "A Widow's Toast" before being joined by the rest of the band, which consisted of some familiar faces and long-time collaborators, including Paul Rigby, Carl Newman, Joe Seiders, and Nora O'Connell, who all provided some incredible harmonies throughout the night.

Case joked around and interjected a few times between songs -- expressing how much she loves playing in Canada -- but for the most part let the music speak for itself as she played a night that spanned her career, with songs about love, animals, loving animals -- and animals maybe not quite loving us, judging by the vicious "People Got A Lotta Nerve".

Classics like the soaring "Hold On, Hold On" and "Margaret vs Pauline" joined newer favourites like the haunting "Last Lion of Albion", and other highlights including a rollicking version of "Man", the tempestuous "This Tornado Loves You", and "The Pharaohs", which Case joked was about her first boyfriend... who never knew he was her boyfriend (and, to this day, somehow still doesn't).

After just over an hour, she capped off the main set beautifully with "Maybe Sparrow", before only Case and Rigby returned, for what was maybe the night's best highlight of Neko's incredible voice, "Vengeance is Sleeping". After another "Hex", she finished everything off with "Halls of Sarah", a the heartbreaking song that’s one of my favourites off her most recent album, Hell-On.

The last time I saw Case perform live (aside from the aforementioned New Pornos shows) was back in 2018 at the Vancouver Folk Fest, so I was happy to see her to return, especially to a venue like the Vogue. Her voice is still unparalleled — especially live — and she always puts on a great show.

setlist
A Widow's Toast
People Got a Lotta Nerve
This Tornado Loves You
Hell-On
Man
I'm an Animal
Last Lion of Albion
Hold On, Hold On
Calling Cards
Margaret vs Pauline
Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
The Devil's Eye [The Go‐Betweens cover]
Lady Pilot
Favorite
Oracle of the Maritimes
Outro With Bees
The Pharaohs
Oh, Shadowless
Maybe Sparrow
(encore)
Vengeance is Sleeping
Hex
Halls of Sarah