Ladies love them. College and high school kids bond over them. Guys earn sensitivity points for digging them. And when the Indigo Girls come to town, even New York City gets a little looser, kinder and gentler.

Taking the stage for the second of a three-night run at the Beacon Theatre, Indigo Girls Amy Ray and Emily Saliers brought out their new band and plenty of songs from their latest album, Come On Now Social. Opening their set with "Go," the Girls brought out Joan Osborne, who would return throughout the night to lend her voice and shake her hips.

The presence of sister Joan was in keeping with Come On Now Social's post-Lilith Fair vibe, where jamming with new friends helped keep the music fresh and flowing. Featuring the talents of Caroline Dale on cello and multi-instrumentalist Carol Isaacs on everything from accordion to djumbek, the band was there to beautify each song with rich, emotional shading.

As the years go on, Amy looks more and more like a rock star and Emily is looking more and more like, well, less of a rock star. Watch Amy's hands as plays, often moving at twice the speed of her bandmates', and you'll glimpse what makes her such an intense performer. Their voices still blend beautifully, Emily's smooth like water flowing and Amy's as strong and earthy as wood.

They seemed primed from the start, electric guitars blaring through "Go"'s jarring chords, then switching over to acoustics for "Strange Fire"'s call to arms. Audience members, too, were right there in the moment, taking over the vocals in key spots during "Power of Two" and "Galileo," as if they had memorized their parts from 1200 Curfews, the Indigo's double live album.
New Yorkers could probably learn a thing or two from the band's spirit of giving. Emily took time out during the show to plug her sister's appearance in a New York City play. And when they brought out opening act Rose Polenzani and sang along to one of her achingly sweet songs over a lone acoustic guitar and mandolin, it turned into one of the evenings finest moments.

"Do y'all want to sing the last verse?" Emily asked the crowd during the everybody-and-their-mother-know's-this-one anthem, "Closer to Fine". Of course they did. In a few years, Emily and Amy won't need to sing any of the song -- just a count-off will do, and the crowd will take care of the rest.

During the quieter songs the audience would take their seats, but a few women standing in the front couldn't resist standing up to dance, eyes closed in rapture, as if they were at their own private show. They could do as they pleased. It was, after all, Girls' night out.

EVAN SCHLANSKY
(October 14, 1999)