Alela Diane, 2.26.09 @ The Paradise

I never know what to expect from opening bands.  I'm often pleasantly surprised by the first name on the bill, occasionally bitterly disappointed in underdeveloped openers, and I'm rarely - and I mean very very rarely - completely blown away by the talent of an opening band.  The last time I can remember it happening was when Yeasayer "opened" for MGMT at Great Scott.  Before that, it was TV on the Radio opening for The Faint at the Roxy in 2005.  I can't really think of many other than that.

Until Thursday night, that is.

That opener was Alela Diane, fresh off of an 8.0 rating from Pitchfork for her sophomore effort,To Be Still.  Pitchfork described her as, "a little hippie-dippy, but also utterly enchanting".  I was intrigued.

To start, as always, with appearances, Alela and her backing band look like a comical grab-bag of individuals - the drummer was straight out of the 70s, the harmony vocalist looked like she'd fit in with the Dirty Projectors, Alela herself is the spitting image of Michelle Branch, and the rhythm guitarist looked like a contemporary of Neil Young's.  Zack and I both made calls that the guitarist looked like her father.  Two songs later, she introduced him to the crowd as her dad.  2 points for us.

On to the music - Alela is a friend of Joanna Newsom, and although that comparison is not really musically accurate, it's hard to avoid.  She's a strong-voiced female singer with some vocal quirks that make her eminently listenable.  Think Newsom meets Jewel.  

Without Alela's voice, the band would be a pretty standard folksy affair, with slight pops and interesting rhythms coming from the percussion.  With Alela's voice, however, it's a force to be reckoned with - one of the few openers I've felt could carry a headlined show on its own.

Some highlights of the set - "White As Diamonds" and "To Be Still", both off of her latest record, are phenomenal songs.  The whole show got me bopping, and a cover of Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman".  Great set-up for Blitzen Trapper that impressed everyone without stealing the show.  Check out "White As Diamonds" below, along with the Podington Bear Remix of "To Be Still".  If you like female singers or folk rock at all, don't sleep on this.  And check back in later today for Zack's review of the Blitzen Trapper show!

Alela Diane - White As Diamonds (YSI) (filesavr)

Alela Diane - To Be Still (Podington Bear Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)