Keren Ann & A Girl Called Eddy, World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, 3/11/05
Keren Ann It was a kind of unusual experience to not only see two events at the same venue the same day, but to be so unfamiliar with the artists, that when Keren Ann came out to open the show with no introduction, I wasn't sure whether it was her or A Girl Called Eddy. Although I knew of both artists by reputation and I'd heard a good sampling of Keren Ann's French language material courtesy of Jenn's iPod, I'd not heard either of their latest albums at all. I'd hoped to check out A Girl Called Eddy's latest during the week before the show, but Jenn's iPod files wouldn't play on my computer, thanks to iTunes' digital rights management, but that's an issue for another day. In any case, it was kind of a treat to experience new music, hearing it essentially for the first time live. Both sets were highly enjoyable, however I think I prefer Keren Ann's more atmospheric French work to the more singer-songwriterly tunes she sang in English. A G