We are big fans of Feist, the Canadian chanteuse with an esteemed indie pedigree and smooth, seductive, award-winning sound. She's quite popular throughout the blogosphere, even though her internationally acclaimed record Let It Die just saw its US release in late April. So sending us to see her open for Rilo Kiley was basically preaching to the converted. Unfortunately, we're not sure how many new converts she won over at The Grand Ballroom on Saturday night.

The sold-out crowd had been enthusiastic and receptive during the opening set by The Brunettes, lapping up their sunny co-ed vocals and visual schtick (Mary-Kate and Ashley masks, Village People-style alphabet gestures). The five piece band from New Zealand brought out all the bells and whistles -- including horns, triangles, glockenspiel, xylophone, and noisemaking instruments we haven't seen since elementary school music class -- and truly warmed up the crowd. After all that joyous noise, Ms. Feist took the stage solo and began with a mostly a cappella version of "When I Was A Young Girl," setting a far more serious tone. Feist is the type of artist who never plays a song exactly the same way twice, which is fantastic if you're willing to go on the journey with her but it might not be the best way to win over a crowd of hundreds who've probably never heard her before. Standing in the middle of the increasingly noisy crowd, we kept wishing we were seeing the gig in a smaller venue.

Feist is an amazing singer, songwriter and guitarist and we fully expect Let It Die to land on plenty of year end top 10 lists. We had high hopes that touring with Rilo Kiley would expose her to a host of new fans, but we worry now that her solo subtlety will be lost on crowds that are ready to rock. If you were there, let us know what you think in the comments section.

Listen to Let It Die here and visit Feist's website. (Image from Spin.com.)