Annie Golden at the Bottom Line, 1/29/01 Photo © 2001 NY Rock, More Photos

Dana Mase at the Bottom Line, 1/29/01 Photo © 2001 NY Rock, More Photos

At the Bottom Line on January 29, 2001, Mase opened with a ballad but quickly brought the tempo up on the next number, reminding us that her music is not all about PMS and dead pets. In fact, it was during the upbeat numbers that one could clearly see her joy of performing, as she sashayed to the beat and traded smiles with her four-piece backup band.

Mase – whose strongest attribute is clearly her songwriting – spent most of the evening in this mode, complementing her softer, poignant numbers with their more energetic counterparts. In addition to the effective rendition of her self-penned material, Mase's set was highlighted by the extraordinary guitar work of Ben Butler and the unique addition of sampled percussive beats, courtesy of keyboardist Takuya. (Keep an eye out for the hip-hop folk-rock section in your local record store.)

Annie Golden at the Bottom Line, 1/29/01 Photo © 2001 NY Rock, More Photos

Aside from having the obvious common thread of both belonging to the feminine persuasion, Mase and headliner Annie Golden had little in common. While Mase clearly hails from the Joni Mitchell-Suzanne Vega school of women folkies, Annie is no such thing. In fact, Golden is a bit of an anomaly. Although she rose to local stardom during the heady days of the eighties punk movement with her band the Shirts, Golden is far more Broadway than she is Bowery. Along these lines, Annie mentioned on more than one song during her set that she was a "professional" entertainer there to do her "job." Mind you, this is not a bad thing, especially in Golden's case, for she certainly is entertaining and vivacious – and has the voice of lark.

Backed by a band that included a violin player and brother Mike Golden on the drums, Annie wound the audience through an hour-and-change set of tunes that offered ample opportunities for her to showcase her schoolgirl glamour and masterful voice. During the performance, Golden's lead vocals were often coupled with elegant harmonies via backup vocalist Lisa Burns. The band closed the evening with "Invitation to Cry," Golden's wistful ode to silent screen star Clara Bow.