Iris played here at the University of South Dakota campus 'bout a year ago. It was her first public gig since September 11--she commented on that from the stage, and how nervous it made her, and how she was wondering what good these little songs really were in the wake of what had happened. And you could tell she was nervous. Her voice was, I'm sorry to say, painfully off the first 4 or 5 songs. But as her confidence grew (and fans of Iris know that confidence is sometimes a bit of a problem for her) and the crowd really got behind her, it ended up being a very good performance. Her take on "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room" was stunning. But even off, her voice is still somehow compelling and authentic, and OMG what a songwriter. She makes my short list on the strength of "Sweet Is the Melody" alone. Doesn't hurt that she's cute as all hell either.

As for Kristofferson, what I've always said is that he can't sing a bloody note, but isn't he good at it! :-) His voice does get on my nerves sometimes, but sometimes it's just the right thing (his verse on "The Highwayman" for instance).

Chris