City painting

Fourteen years later, when Suzanne Vega took the stage Friday night (March 23rd) at Hollywood's Knitting Factory, the venue, albeit much smaller, was again sold out. However, the circumstances are much different, as Vega is now a veteran performer attempting what likely will be viewed as a comeback, seeing as how she hasn't released a studio collection in the States since 1996's Nine Objects of Desire.Vega, who rarely plays live these days -- and plays the West Coast even less frequently -- explained early in this nearly two-hour set that she was in town visiting her father, who resides in Orange County, so she decided to do a couple of gigs to test out the new material. But it was an old favorite that she started off with; after taking the stage to a rousing ovation, she and bassist Mike Visceglia began the familiar refrain to "Marlene on the Wall," the superb lead single from Vega's eponymous debut. In fact, it took Vega six songs into the set to do the first test, with the lovely, folky "Penitant," a song whose deft wordplay recalled Elvis Costello. Vega seemed genuinely moved by the audience's enthusiastic response to the tune, as she thanked the crowd three times for their warm applause.