Saturday it’s viva la Vega at House of Blues

Kirk Baird

Friday, Feb. 8, 2002 | 9:37 a.m.

In 1987 the quirky folk-pop song "Luka" became the hit that launched Suzanne Vega's career.

Nearly 15 years later the singer-songwriter, who performs Saturday at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, remains surprised by the song's success. Specifically, she's impressed that a song with the morose subject matter of child abuse became so popular.

"I had been singing 'Luka' for about three years before it actually came out," Vega said in a recent interview from her hotel room in Eugene, Ore. "I'd sung it acoustic and it wasn't a song people had gotten into. I really thought no one would want to hear a song about child abuse. I thought it would just be one of those odd songs that was just part of my career at that point.

"I guess I unknowingly touched on a nerve. I think a lot of people responded to it because it was such a wider problem than what I'd imagined."

The 42-year-old Vega has since had other hits: "Left of Center" (featuring Joe Jackson on piano), "Book of Dreams," "No Cheap Thrill" and her biggest hit, a remix of her a cappella song "Tom's Diner" by two British DJs, DNA, in 1990 that appeared on an album of various artists interpretations of the song.

But "Luka" remains a personal favorite.

The song was never about any specific incident or person -- simply a boy she observed one day playing with friends who had an interesting name, "Luka." But Vega thought everyone could identify with Luka, and she's very protective of the song, as if she is guarding a real-life child.

So when an insurance company contacted her about using the song for one of its commercials, she flatly turned them down.

"That was very weird," Vega said. "I just said no."

It's not that she's opposed to having some of her songs used in commerical purposes. Last year, for example, the "do-do-do-do" chorus from the DNA version of "Tom's Diner" was used in a Nissan commercial, giving the remix and Vega increased exposure.

"That particular song was so widely used for so many different things, there was so many covers of it, that I felt like that was (OK)," she said. "I try to be careful with (commercial use of songs). I know it is widely done now, but it can be dangerous."

And contrary to some opinions, the singer doesn't need the money. Sure, Vega seemed to drop off the musical radar after 1996's "Nine Objects of Desire," but that wasn't by choice, rather necessity.

During the five-year absence until her newest album, "Songs in Red and Gray," was released in the middle of last year, Vega underwent a series of crises, including the painful breakup of her marriage to record producer Mitchell Froom (who produced two of her records, 1993's "99.9 F" and "Nine Objects") and the firing of her manager.

But all was not bleak in Vega's life during that period. She is raising a daughter, Ruby, 7, and released a book, "The Passionate Eye: The Collected Works of Suzanne Vega," (Harper Entertainment, $15) of poetry, song lyrics and stories. The longtime New York resident also toured infrequently around New England and Europe.

As for working on a new album, unlike many songwriters, Vega said she cannot compose lyrics while her life is in disarray. So she simply had to wait until a sense of normalcy returned.

Eventually Vega began writing again, for an hour or two late at night when her daughter was asleep, opening up in a way she never had before.

When she was ready to put the album together, she was forced to find almost an entirely new group of musicians. Froom had hired most of the band members and they elected to remain with him after the divorce. In effect, he retained custody.

Only her longtime bassist, Mike Visceglia, stayed with Vega.

It's little wonder, then, that when Vega began recording "Songs in Red and Gray" she reverted to the more acoustic-based sound she was known for than the aggressive, electronic sound Froom helped create on their two collaborations.

"I guess when things are in turmoil you go back to what you know and I felt that it was really time to go back to my strength, which are my acoustic guitars and lyrics," she said. "I felt that it was important to have a record that didn't concentrate so much on what the album sounded like but really more on the poetry of the lyrics and guitar."

Still recovering from a biking accident over the summer in which she broke her left arm, Vega limits her guitar-playing to about five or six songs per show. She could play more, if she wanted, but she and her band got used to having her just sing.

"It's a nice break for me to put the guitar down from time to time. There are times when I tour with just my bass player, so it's completely an acoustic show and that tends to be a little harder on my back," Vega said with a slight laugh. "I figure since the guys are there, I might as well let them play."