This was a pure example of Yamagata and what she brings to the music industry. A total enclave of excitement and anticipation make this song a treat for the ears and mind. It has a touch of grit mixed in with the high-class tones to make it an accessible sound for almost anyone. And it touched a chord with both those wearing $300 jeans and those in a $3 T-shirt.

Her gravelly yet heart-filled voice is easily the noticeable attraction to Yamagata, but under that voice is so much more. With what seems like rough exterior and tough lyrics, a romantic is crying out to be heard. Sure, when she broke into the song Paper Doll, she did dedicate it to her recent ex-boyfriend, or as she referred to him, "The asshole of the moment." But even in those harsh words, there was a remorsefulness and hurt, and that is exactly what you get out of he music. Her voice has what seems like 20 years of street living coming through the vocal chords, but there is still more than an hint of innocence still remaining; much like a runaway child on the New York streets still yearning for her stuffed animals and canopy bed.

Yamagata won the mostly female crowd over very quickly with her "I am woman" mentality and songs. And although the crowd did get a rise out of her "asshole" comment, it was more the fact that there was that realness to what she was saying and how she was saying it that was the bait for the crowd to be reeled in. And when Yamagata proves she is woman, she does it with a realness, a variety of passion and a roller coaster ride of pleasures and pain. Yamagata was not up there to roar like a cartoon rendition of a feminist, but rather be herself, a true woman who roars, growls and even purrs. After all, everyone has their time to roar, but don't we all just want to curl up and purr at night? And Yamagata, even after her roar, is more about the purr. And that is what makes Rachael Yamagata so appealing to the women in the audience, as well as many a man as well.

Yamagata is supporting her latest RCA-Victor release, Happenstance.