Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins

There are not many people that I’d like to click my heels together and change places with, but Jenny Lewis if one of them. Jenny is every indie-rock boy’s dream girl, with her petite frame, brilliant red hair, and quirky wardrobe. And, when she opens her mouth, it’s impossible not to fall in love with her. I’ve never heard a more angelic, strong, and developed voice come from any other female vocalist, especially of our generation. Jenny needs no studio effects, no instrumentation to drown her out; she is legitimately an incredible vocalist. When she sings, I am completely captivated.

Most people have probably heard Jenny Lewis’ lovely voice on the Postal Service album. She supports Ben Gibbard on vocals for several of the tracks. Prior to this project, Jenny was the lead vocalist for Los Angeles based indie-rock band Rilo Kiley. Much before this, Jenny starred in Troop Beverly Hills.

My point is that Jenny Lewis is everywhere. With her enormous talent, it’s impossible for her to sit still. Two years ago, Connor Oberst (a.k.a. Bright Eyes) approached Jenny about recording a solo record for his label Team Love. She agreed, and was very eager to make this side project a very different endeavor from Rilo Kiley. She opted to record what she calls “a kind of soul record,” and enlisted the help of Louisville, Kentucky, born the Watson Twins. Their album Rabbit Fur Coat was released in January 2006. I listened to the album everyday for the first ten days that I owned it, and was never disappointed. The album definitely has moments of “soul,” but, overall, I would say that the record has more of a “country meets gospel” feel. The opening track “Run Devil Run” showcases the amazing voices of the three women in a Carter Sisters harmony style; you imagine the women crowed around one mic in a dusty recording studio.

I was very excited to see that Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins were coming to my town. They previously played a sold out show at The Swedish American Music Hall in San Francisco that I couldn’t make it to, and I was very pissed off. When I found out that they were coming back to San Francisco and playing at Bimbos, I was elated. Bimbo’s is a superb venue that hasn’t been booking all that well recently, so this was going to be a real treat!