Elated: An Evening with Suzanne Vega at the Dakota

Last updated on May 14th, 2022 at 05:37 pm

If you considered going to Suzanne Vega at the Dakota but decided not to, you made the wrong decision. The career-spanning show exceeded expectations.

First a bit about the venue. The Dakota is not a large space, but it’s quaint, and there’s room enough to breathe and relax without worrying that you’re going to step on anybody. It’s one of the Twin Cities best venues.

The Dakota went silent when Vega took the stage, but the crowd didn’t exactly stay quiet.

A table of attendees off to one side professed their love to Vega and her music, which she thanked them for, and suggested they should have caught the earlier show. Which, of course, the table did, and cackled about it.

It’s a joy to witness a lifetime storyteller exercise their craft with ease and precision. The scenes and characters in her work are riveting.

Vega was accompanied by long-time collaborator Gerry Leonard on guitar. Leonard sported brightly colored dye splotches in his hair, but otherwise he played more of a background, supportive role.

Vega’s been playing some songs for over 30 years, but nothing she played felt like it was dialed in or on autopilot. She was engaged at each step and every word felt poignant.

So yeah, if you didn’t catch Suzanne Vega at the Dakota, kick yourself. It was well worth it.