Unless it kicks man....

First of all, Neko was there, but she was sick and couldn't perform, that sucked. Secondly, I am in love with Kathryn Calder. Third, Okkervil River was inspiring.

Monday concerts are tricky, I mean it's Monday, so that's already a strike against the band. But Okkervil River removed the stigma of Mondays and provided a timeless environment to perform in. Digging right into the setting of DC, they began with "The President's Dead" with conviction. Seriously, I do believe I took a step back to absorb all this in. And then the politics of the evening were done with and it was just about the music. This is where the set really took off.

"It Ends With A Fall" provided romantic fodder for the couples in the crowd, and it even made my heart beat for a moment or two. "A Girl in Port" was a solid selection that only emphasized their latest album, The Stage Names, is their best yet; seriously, if you do not own this album, after reading this, go out and buy this now or download it from emusic.com.

Their strength and the greatest closing sequence of songs began with "Our Life is Not a Movie, Or Maybe." The band put their entire bodies into this song, I actually thought the drummer's head would fall off because he was banging his head so hard. This was followed by "So Real," which only added more majestic respect from me for this band. I have never heard this song with such intensity before, I still play it in my head as much as I can. And this was followed by an even better song, "Unless It Kicks." This song has more plays than any other song for the past couple of months. This song rejuvenates my love for music and even humanity because sometimes it can create such beauty as this song. And to close it all out, "Westfall." This song is ...... I can't describe it, you just have to listen to it over and over and over. The subject matter may be a bit of a downer, but I don't care because this one has heart, which I so desperately need in my life.

Now, after all this, I still had The New Pornographers to listen to. They were good, but to follow up Okkervil River is a tough task. If only they had Neko to help them bring it, but she was recovering, reminding me that musician are human to; I hate that. But Kathyrn was there to cover all the bases, and she did. She even earned a new superhero nickname of "Super Sexy Girl." And that she is, with a near even split of vocal duties, she did not disappoint and was one of the highlights of the night. She did her own spin on "Challengers" and "From Blown Speakers." It was a good night for them with her around. And I did enjoy the onstage banter Carl and her provided, the interaction between the whole band was superb.

I know I am not giving the New Pornographers justice in this one, but Okkervil River was god-like that night. See them both.