Nicole Atkins

A 27-year-old chanteuse from New Jersey, Nicole Atkins is a beguiling singer-songwriter that intuitively knows exactly when to allow her amazing voice to soar, float and boom. Based in folk and pop, Atkins owns a haunting voice as sturdy, versatile and intoxicating as the pipes of Leslie Feist and Neko Case. Since her own band, the Sea, were detained outside of Austin, she was accompanied by members of the Parlor Mob, who did a remarkable job backing her up on short notice. Capping off a set of impressive material from last year's Bleeding Diamonds LP, Atkins and friends finished with a thundering rendition of Lead Belly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"