I never really understood the whole loop pedal thing. As far as I was concerned, that little technological marvel was reserved for that jam band goon Keller Williams. (Sorry hippie kids, no bueno.)

That was until I heard Theresa Andersson.

As I’ve said very recently on this website, I’ve become enamored by the New Orleans by-way-of New Orleans performers densely layered pop compositions. She manages to create a full and varied sound using a combination of Guitar, violin, dulcimer, drums, and even her record player.

Last night, she brought her act to the trendy Evanston hotspot, SPACE, performing a set of songs off her latest record, Hummingbird Go!, as well as a few choice covers.

It’s safe to say she brought the house down.

Andersson took the stage and broke into the Nina Simone classic “Be My Husband” accompanied only by tambourine. The sparceness of the performance coupled by the intimate nightclub setting was absolutely bonechilling. Not long after, she launched into the loop-pedal exercises of “Na Na Na” and the song she performed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the YouTube hit, “Birds Fly Away”. She explained that the TV show asked her to cut it down, and responded by an exhilarating extended version that ignited the crowd.

She likes to show off her technology. She broke from her set to show how her loop pedals worked on occasion, and also performed “Introducing The Kitchenettes”, where she introduced her backing band of the same name. In reality, its just Andersson looping four seperate pitches of her voice to sound full and robust. It worked, and fascinating to watch unfold in real time.

The show’s most transcendent moment came with her set’s closing song, the Crosby, Stills and Nash cover “Find the Cost of Freedom”. Andersson layed it all out on the line. Her voice, as rich as a classic soul singer’s, engulfed the room and proved that there is plenty of talent out there that deserves much wider recognition than playing shows in coffee shop sized venues.

View more photos of the set on our Flickr page.

1. Tonight I asked those of you who follow @obviate on Twitter to suggest something for me to write about. Much appreciated.

Let’s see what you said:

Very thoughtful. Perhaps I’ll take you guys up on it. What looks like the best choice? Post in the comments.

2. I saw something yesterday I found pretty remarkable: Julio Osegueda at yesterday’s rally featuring the Prez.

My initial reaction to this clip was: “This kid’s got some serious Obama love. That praise thing was a little messianic,and he’s REALLY FUCKING EXCITED to meet the President!”

As he said, he’s been working at McDonalds for 4.5 years, and he’s in his second semester of college, wanting to study Communications with either being an announcer or DJ.

Today, he probably woke up thinking today would be just like every other day. Then he met the President. Then media went nuts. Now he gets his shot being a color commentator for the Fort Meyers Miracle. It’s remarkable how your life can change within seconds.

3. I’m starting to fall in love with the album Hummingbird, Go! by Swedish singer-songwriter Theresa Andersson. She’s set up like a one-woman band. Her appearance on Conan mesmerized me with her use of loop pedals, guitar, violin, and even her record player. She has surprisingly rich and full sound. Check out Birds Fly Away, which like the rest of her album, was recorded in her kitchen.

4. Bad Boys and Bad Boys II: The only two movies where Martin Lawrence gets top billing over Will Smith.

5. Yesterday’s other big story at the rally is sad, but has a good ending. Learn about Henrietta Hughes.

6. I’m watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit? for the first time right now. It’s fascinating. I don’t know if I should be watching it from the perspective as a an adult comedy or as an animated feature. It’s like it wants to be both. For a movie that’s twenty years old, it’s holding up well. I like the cinematography. Also, Christopher Lloyd is creepy as hell.

7. At long last, the first teaser trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s next opus, the long-awaited Inglorious Basterds has been released. (No, that’s not a typo, either, jerky.) Brad Pitt looks key, B.J. “Ryan Howard” Novak is in the trailer, and there’s also some Eli Roth action. Not seen is Mike Myers as a British General… which could be either awesome or awful.

Check it out:

8. The National have announced a new round of tour dates for the spring. Unfortunately, none are remotely close to Chicago. Road trip? Washington D.C. and Philly seem appetizing. Maybe. Realistically, not at all. They totally blew my mind at last year’s Lollapalooza. I sincerely hope they get out here, and release a new disc sometime soon.

9. File this one under the “I like it now, but will characteristically mock it until the end of days in about 1.5 weeks” category: Lonely Island ft. T-Pain – I’m On A Boat.

10. This is severely irritating.

11. Hell. Yes.