Pinc's Picks

Cat Power @ Studio A, July 14, 2006

I don't really get Cat Power.

I understand that she's a darling of the critics and has scratchy, huskily melodic voice. I also understand that as someone who loves music I am supposed to worship her ... or at the very least have a deep, if not passionate, appreciation for her genius.

With that preface, I ventured to one of the shadier neighborhoods of Miami last night to attend Cat Power's performance at Studio A. I must admit that my curiousity, combined with the $15 ticket price, spurred me to the concert. I had read (and heard) of Chan Marshall's almost legendary stage fright and heroin addiction and have to admit that I wanted to see her freak out and end her set abruptly. For once, I'm happy to report that my schadenfreude was not indulged.

Chan possesses a quiet, easy charm. She conversed with the audience, thanked us for clapping along to one of the songs, and seemed more at ease than I expected. She sat alone on the stage, in a black tunic and and yoga pants, and alternately accompanied herself on guitar or piano. She hid behind her trademark long bangs and unself-consciously swung her barefeet as she sang. During her last song, she performed a little dance best described as Martha Graham at a Phish concert.

I don't know Cat Power's catalogue, save a few songs from "You Are Free" and I don't think it matters. Her songs all sound very much the same and her live renditions faded out so that you weren't sure if the song was really over, or she had gotten bored with it and abandoned it in favor of another. It's her pace and timing that make her music unique, almost as if she has her own off-kilter internal metronome. My friend Jay, who attended the concert with me, noted that the internal metronome is called heroin. He may be right.

I won't say that Cat Power won me over entirely, but she put on a mesmerizing show. It was even possible to block out the dull roar of conversation near the bar and the usual audience rudeness that accompanies every show I've seen in Miami. Seeing her perform live brought a new dimension to her music that I hadn't appreciated before. I'm in no rush to buy her latest album, but at least now I understand what all the fuss is about.

posted by Danya @ 7/15/2006 11:26:00 AM