If there ever was time to see Cat Power at her peak, now is the time. Gone are the days where her performances were erratic and unpredictable. Now, we have a genuine talent who is playing at a superior level. Going back to 2003 and her frustrating set at Castle Clinton, she left me and many others angry with her starting and stopping songs, her fascination with a squirrel and otherwise unprofessional demeanor. Tonight, a last minute edition to her 2-night stand at the Apollo Theater, erased that old image of her out of my mind.
Some of the best shows to catch are the big name performers playing in small, intimate settings. You get a better look at the band and the crowds are usually better with appreciative fans. So it was a no-brainer to come tonight. In the end, it was a nearly flawless performance from Marshall and her band.
If you picture a meter standing straight up that represented the energy of the show, that needle would budge about 10 percent in both directions. It was an even keeled, mellow show where the high points never got too high and deep parts never got too deep. Chan is now a skilled performer and stage presence. She sways around on stage to the groove with ease. You might think of Janis Joplin, but Chan isn't one to over-exert herself and sing to the point of screaming.
Her setlist contained mostly covers, including "House of the Rising Sun," "Dark End of the Street," "Fortunate One," "Lord, Help the Poor and Needy" and "New York, New York". With Chan being in a class all her own, she gave each track a unique spin, mostly due to her fantastic backing band, the Dirty Delta Blues. You can spot Judah Bauer of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Gregg Foreman from one of my favorite departed bands, The Delta 72. Obviously, with a name like that, you're going to hear and feel the sounds of the deep south, a mixture of soul, blues and gospel. With that sound and Chan's empathetic, gravely voice, you have the makings of a perfect performance.
Her set probably went on for a good two hours, all of that with minimal stage lighting. In that time, she barely spoke between songs only to say sorry for being late and thank you. She was truly in that performance zone where she's focused on moving with the music and creating an honest performance. The one odd part of the show was when the feedback was so severe that they had to stop and continue onto the next song. That's why I wear earplugs, people.
As I said before, now is the time to see her in her prime. Her last album of all new material, The Greatest, was an amazing achievement for a 10-year veteran. Seeing her in a small venue did seem to heightened my enjoyment. Then again, her Apollo shows should be killer for those of you seeing her there. It's not often where you see an artist reinvented themselves while staying true to her roots, but Cat Power seems to find a new, better version of herself admist her newfound popularity.
Did you leave your balls at home again? Figures....blur fan and all.
Posted by: Johnny Marr | February 06, 2009 at 07:52 AM
hahaha peak. because dark end of the street is such a masterpiece. i'd rather have her storm off the stage after doing two songs with the voice she had then.
Posted by: chris | February 06, 2009 at 05:33 PM
I saw Saturday night, 2,7,09, and was mesmerized by the intense performance. For those of us that shared in this experience of a perfect, and unique performance, will always cherish the intimacy that was witnessed.
Posted by: M. Stinson | February 08, 2009 at 12:08 PM
you failed to mention that long time collaborator and incredible drummer JIM WHITE (of the also incredible DIRTY THREE) was on the traps.
the last time i saw her before she got her act together, i walked out after she abruptly stopped about 4 bars into "good woman". it was lame. with that being said, i thought the show friday at the apollo was excellent although i would have liked to hear some songs from "the greatest".
Posted by: scott | February 12, 2009 at 01:51 PM