Sia, Regina Spektor, Kate Nash, Lily Allen,
Adele…the list of all the female singers I adore goes on and on. Well, on
Saturday night at the Corner Hotel I had the privelege to see one such wondrous
woman in the flesh: Sally Seltmann. 

Previously known under the pseudonym New
Buffalo, Seltmann has reemerged onto the scene this year with her new album
‘Heart That’s Pounding’. But, before I delve into the details of the beautiful
Sally’s performance, I must mention the outstanding support acts. The first was
an experimental duo of girls from Sydney under the name Kyu. Despite the set
being cut-short by technical problems (although, ‘problem’ is probably an
understatement. It was more of an explosion), the two girls managed to impress
the audience with ease. With synthesizers and various forms of percussion to
accompany the seamless harmonies, they are surely a live show not to be missed. 

Following Kyu were Otouto, a trio receiving high acclaim from every place to
which they’ve ventured. Hazel and Martha Brown front the group on vocals, keys
and guitar respectively, while Kishore Ryan holds his own in the percussion
section up back. Both supporting acts set the mood for the forthcoming
performance from Seltmann with their soaring melodies and haunting vocals.

As soon as the curtains were drawn apart,
the audience fell silent. Such is the effect of Seltmann upon her fans that her
presence warrants respect. After a gentle opening to the show, Seltmann and her
band, who were adorned with costumes inspired by Mickey Mouse, burlesque and a
number of other seemingly unrelated themes, embarked upon an hour long set
compiling new and old, including a fair selection of New Buffalo tracks.
Entrancing and entertaining, yet Seltmann seems so human. It is unjust that
she has not received the acclaim as widely as some of her singer-songwriting
counterparts. It’s hard to pin down a singular highlight of the show, as it all
blended into one outstanding experience. But, amongst the songs she did include
were New Buffalo’s "Emotional Champ" and her current single "On the Borderline",
as well as the relatively well known "Harmony to my Heartbeat".

It’s rare that I walk out of a gig and head
straight to the merchandise stand. But, after this one that’s exactly what I
did, with the intention of buying Seltmann’s new album to place within my
ever-growing collection of CDs from talented ladies. Somewhere she should have been long ago.