FEMINIST TWIST

Nobody has a better time at a Linda Tillery concert than Tillery herself. Friday night at At My Place, the gutsy singer-songwriter entertained a capacity crowd with a well-paced set that was equal parts music and spaced-out humor. While not the greatest singer in the world (she has a tendency to go alarmingly flat quite often), Tillery does knows her way around a great R&B; classic--as she proved on knock-’em-down renditions of Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” and James Brown’s “I Feel Good.”

Though she has a feminist following due to her work with Holly Near, Meg Christian and Cris Williamson, Tillery’s style is radically different from their folk-oriented approach. It’s sexy, for one thing, and packed with so much tongue-in-cheek fun that it’s almost counter-revolutionary. The Berkeley-based singer is currently signed to Near’s small Redwood Records, but she seems destined for a major-label future.