The set began with some technical difficulties that were no big deal thanks to her attitude about it. It's hard to be upset about waiting for something when the person you are waiting for is so thoughtful about it. She then dove right into "The Burden" off of her first album, Unavailable, and barely slowed down from there - except for a mid-set break about 45 minutes in. Her choice of covers was impeccable: Ernest Tubb, obscure Johnny Cash and vintage Dwight Yoakam, with her sound walking the line between old-time country (thanks to her voice) and rockabilly. Eddie Spaghetti and the Reverend Horton Heat would both fall in love with this woman.

Even with a talented band backing her, the two main instruments were her voice and her guitar. Her voice - which was all over the place, hitting highs and lows, even daring to yodel - is what made her show special. It wasn't that her more American and occasionally Dolores O'Riordan-sounding voice was flawless, it was that it flawlessly went with her music. One without the other might be average; the two together was terrific.

Elsa went through 20 songs, playing almost her entire first album and playing a couple as of yet unnamed ones from her forthcoming release, which she recorded at opener Jon Nolan's Milltown Recording Company in Newmarket, NH. The closest you are going to get to Nashville in New Hampshire is wherever Elsa Cross is playing.

http://www.myspace.com/elsaacross