Sara Tan
The last thing you’d expect from a big-eyed, porcelain-faced indie-pop princess would be a curse word or a dirty joke, let alone a song about going deep (emotionally, that is) or being the "other" woman—but it was obvious from the get-go that Meiko felt right at home. Maybe that’s the reason why fans flooded the Hotel Cafe Tuesday night for her impromptu set filled with her melancholy tunes about love, heartbreak, and frustrations, complete with personal anecdotes about breaking her nose and wanting to murder Santa (kidding, of course). Meiko, fresh from her tour with Jewel, stood solo sans her band for a charming acoustic performance of old and new songs including “Reasons to Love You” and her own seductive Christmas carol “Maybe Next Year (X-mas Song).” It was a warm homecoming for the once-upon-a-time Hotel Cafe waitress whose deeply rich, yet sweet sounding voice continues to reel us in. -Sara Tan