Second Time’s the Charm for Juana Molina at McCabe’s

Four years ago, a visibly distraught Juana Molina took the stage of McCabe’s for what would be a disastrous U.S. debut. The comedian-turned-singer and KCRW-FM favorite opened the show with an out-of-tune guitar, forgot the lyrics to some of her songs and looked so out of control that the resulting performance evoked a combination of pity and morbid fascination. The following morning, Molina vowed never to perform live again. A few months later, she packed her bags and returned to her native Argentina.

And yet there’s a happy ending to this story. Determined to turn music into her full-time occupation and fighting Argentina’s public opinion, which still refuses to see her as anything other than an actress, Molina recorded two new albums, released them independently, became a cult sensation in Japan and returned to the scene of the crime Saturday for a surprisingly self-assured performance at a sold-out McCabe’s.

Backed with subtle precision by guitarist Fernando Kabusacki and multi-instrumentalist Alejandro Franov, Molina was in complete control of her whimsical, highly poetic material.

Molina is still a shy performer, but her newly acquired musical knowledge and years of practice have had a liberating effect. “El Perro,” a slice-of-life vignette about an annoying dog, incorporated her obvious comedic gifts into her music, with hilarious results. Molina’s performance was an uplifting affair, proving that her desire to grow as a musician has allowed her to overcome all obstacles.