By Dave Miller

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Candye Kane told the crowd at SPACE that her mom taught her to shoplift at nine and her dad disappeared for 25 years when she rejected his Jehovah's Witness beliefs.

"And that was just the beginning," she said.

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The jump blues belter has led an interesting life that includes working in the sex industry in the early 1980s. She's been known to play keyboards with her breasts. Kane is openly bisexual. That part of her biography, which also includes 11 albums and performing her music for two decades all over the world, caused her to be bounced from the bill of next month's Shelby Blues & BBQ festival in Pelham, Ala. That's unfortunate on so many levels, not the least is a public declaration of intolerance that seems out of date by decades.

It's too bad Alabama blues lovers are being denied a chance to see Kane. She put on an empowering and positive concert Thursday night at the top-notch Evanston venue. Kane's a natural onstage whose performance powers have been heightened by years of heavy touring. Her big personality fills a room, even though she has lost 100 pounds on a "cancer diet." "I don't recommend it," she quipped. Songs such as "Hey! Toughen up!" "I'm Not Gonna Cry Today," "White Trash Girl," "I'm the Toughest Girl Alive" and "Superhero" played up her persona and came from a heart full of tough experiences. This wasn't rapper braggadocio. It was real life affirmation from a survivor.

Kane has been riding a creative high. She starred in a play about her life, The Toughest Girl Alive. Her last two albums, Superhero and the just-released Sister Vagabond, have been particularly strong. Her recent weapon is guitarist Laura Chavez, who was a revelation in concert. Her playing served as a sturdy foil for Kane's vocals. "I'm lucky she doesn't sing, too," cracked Kane, who gave Chavez plenty of solo time. Kane's voluptuous vocals and Chavez's cut-throat guitar demanded attention. Kane's songwriting shoudn't be overshadowed, though. She writes in a deceptively simple manner. It helps make her message universal and her music timeless.

Kane worked without a setlist in full confidence. She took a stab at "Walkin', Talkin' Haunted House" for only the second time, and offered a disclaimer beforehand. "There's some dude reviewing the show," Kane said about this writer sitting on the side of the stage. "Can you go outside and smoke a joint?" No need for that. The song from her new album turned out to be a highlight of the night. The humorous "All You Can Eat (and You Can Eat All Night Long)" closed the set. There was no encore in the nearly two-hour show. Kane doesn't have time for such trivialities. The pancreatic cancer that she was diagnosed with in 2008 has resurfaced. It caused her to cancel a couple shows earlier this month. Kane commented that it's the same cancer that Apple founder Steve Jobs has, and that he's still living. That's the positivity in her. Given all the she's been through, I wouldn't bet against her.

Candye Kane

September 15, 2011 @ SPACE

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