Yamagata performs to satisfied Sundance crowd

Singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata capped off a two-day headlining gig at the ASCAP Music Cafe Sunday.

Both shows were played for a standing-room-only and appreciative audience. And though her sets were just about an hour long, they both capped off a whole day's worth of music by other artists including Katie Herzig, Dan Wilson, Chris Mann and the Goo Goo Dolls' Johnny Rzeznick.

During her shows, she switched between her electric piano and acoustic guitar and gave an up close and personal performance to the crowd.

"Elephants" and "Be Be Your Love" were only a couple of songs from the mesmerizing set lists.

Contrary to the angst in her songs, Yamagata is quite happy with life.

"It is so fun up here," Yamagata told the Deseret News after wrapping up Sunday's performance. "We have been looking forward to this for two months."

Back in November, Yamagata, who recently released her CD "Elephants … Teeth Sinking into Hearts" on Warner Bros. Records, got word that she would be playing during Sundance.

"I had been anticipating this for a few weeks," she said. "It is a treat to be here and it is such a great place to play."

Yamagata was raised in Washington, D.C., and New York, but has family members in the Salt Lake valley.

"Every time I come to town, we all get together," she said. But this time was different.

"Funny, no one from my family came to Sundance," she said with a laugh. "They are all in Washington, D.C., to attend President Obama's inauguration. And that is another very important place to be."

Yamagata said she would have like to stay longer at Sundance, but her touring schedule is tight.

"We just added these shows in an already scheduled tour," she said. "We're scheduled for a show in Philadelphia on Wednesday. So we need to get ready for that show. But it was great playing here."

The ASCAP Music Cafe is open all week. Upcoming performances include Phil Vassar, who will play Wednesday and Thursday; Lenka, who will play Friday, and a special production on Thursday which will feature readings by Josh Brolin, Marisa Tomei, Benjamin Bratt, Woody Harrelson, Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove, with music by Wyclef Jean and the Black Crowe's Rich Robinson.

See http://festival.sundance.org/2009/ for more information.