Noble impresses with solo performance

Keri Noble, a Minneapolis singer, songwriter and pianist, performed in Marty’s Feb. 25. A large number of students came out to see Noble’s third appearance at Luther and were pleased with the performance.

Noble first performed at Luther in February of 2006 for a crowd of 400 people and again in September of 2007 in front of 512 fans. Both performances were in the main hall of the Center for Faith and Life.

Kelsey Hake (‘10) was among the students crammed into Marty’s booths before Noble’s most recent performance and also had the opportunity to see Noble perform at Luther in 2007.

“I really enjoyed her,” Hake said. “I hadn’t heard of her until my friends talked about the concert. She had really great humor.”

The Student Activities Council’s Spotlight committee booked Thursday’s show last minute just one month ago.

SAC hoped to schedule her performance for Saturday night, but the BSU Talent Show was already scheduled to take place that evening.

“I thought [the CFL] was a good venue [for the 2007 show],” Hake said. “I was surprised that it was in Marty’s this time because I feel like she’s pretty well-known on campus.”

Despite the smaller venue, attendance was high. Nick Fisher (‘12), SAC Spotlight co-chair, was glad to see Marty’s full.

“I’m really happy with the turnout,” Fisher said. “We don’t normally schedule events for Thursdays because they tend to be busy homework nights, but this is great.”

The performance at Luther was Noble’s first since returning from a 12-day tour in Iraq where she and her band played for U.S. soldiers. She set the stage at Marty’s for a casual, intimate solo concert when she walked on in jeans and a white tank top.

“I think [Marty’s] is the perfect venue for my solo performance,” Noble said. “The great thing about my music is that it works with the band or stripped down, just me. If it didn’t keep changing, I’d get bored.”

Audience members at Thursday’s show were not bored with Noble’s performance. Her bold voice and personable manner kept students on the edge of their seats.

Noble’s set list included selections such as “Going to Dallas,” “Let it Rain” and “Emily,” a song that was featured on a Grey’s Anatomy episode.

Between songs, Noble explained the history behind some of her music and joked with the audience.

“Someday I’ll make a kajillion dollars –and yes, kajillion is a real number,” Noble said. “You just haven’t gotten far enough in your education to reach that many zeros yet.”

Noble’s performance even inspired some students to get to know her music better.

“[The concert] was amazing,” Ally Moen (‘11) said. “I’m probably going to go download all of her songs.”

After the show, Noble offered advice for aspiring musicians.

“The music business is changing,” Noble said. “[Record] labels don’t matter as much. Focus on getting as much experience as possible so you get as good as you can get.”

Noble is currently on a short tour through the Midwest before she gets to take a few weeks off at home. In March she will tour in the Western U.S. in cities like Kansas City and Denver. April will bring an East Coast tour before she leaves in June for a tour through Japan.