i was going to put this in the concerts 08 thread, but i think i'll post it here.
last night 2-11 in minneapolis cat power played first avenue, the grandaddy of all rock clubs in minneapolis.
where r.e.m. called it its second home early in their career (i can remember seeing r.e.m.
opening for other bands in the early 80s), where the beloved replacements ruled the 80s, where prince filmed his concert footage for purple rain, where anybody who is anybody thats come through town has played. it is one of the best venues in the country.
its an old greyhound bus terminal converted into a great music venue in the early 70s, with a rounded black painted brick front, adorned with white painted stars with names in them on the outside, of bands who've played there. with a huge main floor, an elevated stage, and a second level that semicircles the whole place, there is no real bad sightline in the place.
we got there about an hour after the doors opened, much later than we would normally, but we didn't want to stand for 4-5 hours, so we decided to get there close to the time of the opening act, knowing we would be a little ways back, instead of front and center. the only seating in the place is for sightline seating, a 25 dollar premium, and those tics were gone immediately, so we knew we would be standing. us and 2000 soon to be close personal friends.
we met up with al (who some of you may have met at cst in november 06) and his brother mike and mikes girlfriend.
appaloosa opened, not exactly our cup of tea, although they did have a few moments that weren't too bad, but not many for my taste. the female lead singer seemed to be singing out of key quite a lot. as it got closer to cat power time, it got so packed on the main floor, you had to hold onto your 1 square foot of space with elbows out, because there is no such thing as minnesota nice on the main floor, with people trying to jossle into any little opening they can find. it was a little tough on a couple of old birds like sue and myself, and afterwards my feet were killing me and sues knees were hurting. guess we're getting older.
chan came out with her band and just tore into it. she was all over the place, front and center, much like bill said she was in chicago,
playing to the crowd. we got a 95 minute set, but after all that standing, i was ready for it to be over. and the dirty delta blues band is absolutely incredible as her backup. wow, what a great, great show, well worth going to and getting home at 130am on a work night. it was my first time seeing her live, and i was a little leery about the show here. after all there have been more than a few meltdowns here. i think this show will be somewhere near the top of my shows list at years end.
here's a set list from a local blog of the show.
Don’t Explain / Woman Left Lonely / Silver Stallion / New York / Ramblin’ (Wo)man / Lost Someone / Aretha, Sing One for Me / Lord Help the Poor & Needy / Metal Heart / She’s Got You / Song to Bobby / Tracks of My Tears / Could We / At the Dark End of the Street / Naked If I Want To / Willie / The Moon / Lived in Bars / Where Is My Love / The Greatest / I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
i think the minneapolis paper will have a review by tomorrow and i'll post it if they do.
edit
heres the review of the show that was just posted at the star-tribunes web site
QUOTE
Music review: Cat Power roars to life at First Avenue
Rock songstress Chan Marshall showed a different kind of power Monday, and had the band to back it up.
By CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER, Star Tribune
February 12, 2008 - 3:11 PM
Chan Marshall has finally burst out of her shell and become the rock star she has long been hyped to be. That, or she has quickly grown into one of rock's great poseurs.
Either way, the animated, theatrical performance that the singer/songwriter better known as Cat Power delivered Monday at First Avenue was a vast improvement over previous tours, when she would often hide behind her stringy hair and rarely make contact with the crowd.
The notoriously stage-shy and just plain awkward performer -- who reportedly sobered up and cheered up in the past year -- was a consummate showman Monday. It was a transformation as dramatic as Sandy's leather-clad resurrection at the end of "Grease."
Out supporting a new, mostly covers-filled album, "Jukebox," Marshall left her guitar at home and spent the night singing her heart out. She didn't just use her microphone for singing. She paced the stage with it, raised it up and down like a cheerleader's pom-poms, and clung to it as she bent over the stage monitors or writhed in equal parts pain and ecstasy.
The near-sellout crowd seemed a bit baffled by Marshall's reformation, and by the fact that her set list picked heavily from "Jukebox" and her Shortlist Music Prize-winning 2006 album, "The Greatest," but offered little else.
At times, her showy antics seemed a bit contrived, as if she was overcompensating for past shortcomings. This was especially true late in the 90-minute set when she chose a few overambitious covers, such as "At the Dark End of the Street" and the show-closer "I've Been Loving You Too Long."
But at least Marshall, 36, had good reason to be so invested in the music. Her band for this tour, the so-called Dirty Delta Blues Band, was nothing short of superb. Drummer Jim White (from Aussie band the Dirty Three) looked like a punk-rock Buddy Rich as he brushed or pounded his kit to match Marshall's fluctuating moods, while guitarist Judah Bauer (ex-Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) deftly reinvented soul legend Steve Cropper's gritty vibe.
A smoky, haunting version of Billie Holiday's "Don't Explain" opened the concert, followed by a rousing and climactic rendering of Janis Joplin's "Woman Left Lonely." Mid-show highlights included re-imagined interpretations of Patsy Cline's "She's Got You" and James Brown's "Lost Somebody," both showcasing Marshall's raspy but elegant singing -- which was flawless all night.
If pouring herself into her vocals was the point of her 180-degree turn as a stage performer, then call it a success. If she did it to better impress audiences, though, the verdict remains to be seen.
) and the rest of the show she danced, glided, slid, sat, rolled and made full use of the large and open area of the stage. basically, she (they) nailed it, every aspect of the show, nailed. perfect. excellent.
it was amazing.
. I really like Chan's version of A Woman Left Lonely (JJ).