The Cat Power show last night was fun. As an added bonus, it was Teeny Hodges’ birthday, and they gave him a cake and balloons and everyone sang the birthday song, and then his family came onstage and danced while he sang a number with the Memphis Rhythm Band and Chan took a break backstage. Then Chan came back and she and Teeny sang “Where Is My Love” as a duet, and he kept giving her little kisses on her cheek. It was sweet. I do think the old man tried to cop a feel a couple of times, though.
The whole set seemed kind of short to me, though I guess it wasn’t any shorter than any other shows I’ve seen. I think it’s just because she didn’t really play any of the old stuff I was hoping to hear. The band played two songs before Chan even came out, and then, if memory serves, they played straight through the new album (skipping “Where Is My Love” to save for the duet later, I guess) up through “Islands.”
I guess if I had to choose favorite moments, I’d say the “Cross Bones Style” segue into “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and her solo performance of “I Don’t Blame You,” which was so stark and fragile and beautiful and, at times, meandering (incidentally, just like her voice, which is unlike any other voice I’ve ever heard) were the moments when I was most glad to be there — moments when I felt like I was witnessing an important ingredient in the cultural brew.
Let’s see, what else…
She said she used to live in Bartlett when she was eight. She would take two puffs on a cigarette and hand it off to an audience member. She danced like a fool even to the slowest songs. She fidgeted with her hair a lot. She kept tugging her supertight pants out of her crotch. She’d say “wooo!” into the mike for no apparent reason. She told a woman in the audience she thought she’d met her before. She laid down on the stage and kicked her legs into the air. She said “thank you” in many different accents, rapid fire.
By the end of the night, I got kind of annoyed with the backup singer who kept prodding the audience to “give it up for … CAT … POWER!!!” I swear to God we had to clap and cheer louder and louder at her insistence, like, ten times, just to get Chan on stage at the beginning, after the Teeny solo, and after the band completed their set and left her to do some solo stuff. I would have liked to have heard more solo stuff (the cover of “Hit the Road Jack” was particularly interesting) but not if it meant I had to scream my head off to coax her onto the stage.
However, there were no breakdowns. She seemed happy to be there, and said she was so glad to be in Memphis. Her dances were silly and eccentric and you couldn’t help but smile, even if she flattened a note or two.
No photos, sadly. My camera died as soon as I turned it on.
Sounds like an awesome show. I saw her in Nashville all by her lonesome and although it was great, I think seeing her with the Memphis Rhythm Band would have been a great treat.
Yeah, it would have been fun to have you here.
I totally forgot to mention that she covered that Gnarls Barkley song. It was pretty awesome too.
It was a beautiful concert. I’ve been listening to “Where is my love” all day, and I kind of miss Teeny Hodges from the song, even though he was a bit plastered.