In Case You Didn't Feel Like Plugging In

AMG Review of In Case You Didn't Feel Like Plugging In

Michael Frey
All Music Guide

In stark contrast to the Posies' previous live release Alive Before the Iceberg, this album features Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer in an intimate and informal acoustic setting. In Case You Didn't Feel Like Plugging In opens with a rendition of "Grant Hart" that is drastically more subdued than its original album version then leads into a chilling rendering of "Every Bitter Drop," one of the Posies' most emotionally powerful songs. Stringfellow and Auer dig deeply into their past, performing such early classic as "I May Hate You Sometimes," "Believe in Something Other (Than Yourself)," and "Suddenly Mary," while never focusing too heavily on any one period of their career. The duo's between-song banter, including Stringfellow's anecdote about his childhood stuffed dog Brownie, and the crowd's electric reaction to the acoustic performance make this release a necessity for all fans.