Running late, I hurried passed the tempting smell of popcorn to the line for the concert venues in the Somerville Theater. "You might not want to go in there," the ticket-taker said as a particularly loud wail emanated from the opening act. On stage, in the packed theater, was a tall, lanky, slightly pale man with an afro apparently channeling Thom Yorke. The opening act. Earnest in his singing and playing, he would occasionally accompany himself by stepping on a tambourine. Meanwhile, my fellow latecomers tried to discreetly race up and down the aisles looking for seats.
I felt like I had stumbled into the meeting of some secret society (a society of people significantly cooler than me). Dyed bobs and fan club buttons were as numerous as Caucasian dreads, Buddy Holly frames and well-placed piercings. Nonetheless, I did not feel unwelcome as no particular scene over-represented. The stripped down nature of the first act was endearing, paying more attention to well-crafted lyrics than music but managing to evoke some emotion. This same quiet purity was a pronounced feature of Cat Power's set.
Before going on, a word must be said about the Somerville Theater. I was astonished at how wonderful a music venue lay in our own backyard. The Theater is a grand cinema converted into a music house. The walls still bear the fading murals of the original cinema and slightly tarnished chandeliers dangle from the balcony.
There are only two improvements that could be made to make it the perfect music venue. First, the sound system isn't anything to write home about. Depending on where you are in the room the sound can be uncomfortably loud or barely audible. The second thing is that there are entirely too many chairs for shows that would not involve too much sitting. Folk acts like Cat Power do well because they don't really need dancing/moshing room. The Somerville Theater could easily become one of the most popular venues in the Boston area.
Back to the matter at hand. After a weak opener the least amount of fanfare conceivable, Cat Power (Chan -- pronounced Shawn -- Marshall) took the stage. Following her were the musicians, Will Fratesi (drums), Coleman Lewis (guitar) and Margaret White (violin, bass, keyboards). Dressed in jeans, boots and a gray sweatshirt, Marshall's casual manner gave a relaxed intimate feel to the show.
Sitting next to the piano on the left side of the stage Marshall chatted amiably with the crowd and her fellow musicians, having trouble with the brightness of the lights she asks the audience "Y'all mind if I wear my sunglasses?" As White played a few gentle echoing notes on her lap-sized keyboard Marshall eases into the song's repeated line "God bless the motherless children in this land."
Marshall's singing style has a quiet intensity and strength. She's a whispery Janis Joplin whose main musical focus is on the delivery. Power plays both the piano and guitar in her set but neither to any extent that would set the world on fire. The instrumentation is simple and sparse. This can have two effects: it can either be very refreshing or very monotonous. For some, it will go from one side of the spectrum to the other.
Marshall's stripped down approach was also hindered by the sound difficulties. Occasionally, her vocals were overpowered by Lewis's guitar. At a time when Marshall talked with the audience, a friend of the band asked her to turn up her microphone. The request was seconded with a round of applause.
When allowed to shine Marshall's musicians proved remarkably skilled. This was especially true for White who switched seamlessly between bass, keyboard and violin while sometimes providing back up vocals.
All in all, whether you leave content, inspired or thoroughly confused, Cat Power is a musical experience worth having.
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