Concert Review: The Hotel Cafe Tour with Ingrid Michaelson, Meiko, Erin McCarley, Priscilla Ahn and Laura Jansen

The Hotel Cafe Tour hit Austin’s Parish on Friday with an all-female lineup, showcasing talent from five up-and-coming singer/songwriters.

The Tour, named after a coffee shop-turned-venue in L.A., has been a performance outlet for a rotating cast of musicians for four years. It doesn’t emphasize headliners, but instead encourages performers to share the stage.

Friday’s show featured Ingrid Michaelson, Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, Erin McCarley and Laura Jansen. When they needed backup, each of these artists were accompanied by the same band for their separate sets. They also enlisted each other’s help for some songs.

The rapport between the musicians and the ease with which they engaged the crowd between songs and sets made the show as a whole feel intimate and lively.

The music was equally enjoyable. Ahn and Meiko mostly played solo acoustic numbers, but Ahn’s looped melodies gave her songs a full, orchestral sound, while Meiko’s soft arrangements stood well on their own.

Jansen also played solo, but her songs were of the piano-driven pop variety. The explosive power of her voice was most evident, however, when the band joined her for the reggae-infused “Soljah.”

Michaelson and McCarley both played power-pop rock songs. McCarley’s low register melodies in particular bounced beautifully between well-placed pauses on “Blue Suitcase.”

But one of the best aspects of the show was its format. Each musician played two short sets over the three-hour period. The music moved at a brisk pace, ensuring that the audience never grew restless.

This format also gave each musician the chance to play in both earlier and later time slots in the performance, so most audience members got to hear every artist, no matter what time they arrived at the show.

The Hotel Cafe Tour will continue through the U.S. this fall. As always, the roster of artists will vary. Some proceeds from this round of all-female musicians will go to UNFPA and Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign.

Originally published on the Austin American-Statesman’s Austin360 20 October 2008.