I am a fan of a wide variety of artists, and closely follow a select few, but when it comes to artist Cat Power, I feel somewhat expert.
Cat Power, moniker of singer Chan Marshall, is a musician who began making music in the mid-nineties. Now 40 years old, Marshall just released her ninth album as Cat Power, “Ruin,” and is kicking off her tour next week, Thursday October 18, at the State Theatre. Personally, I could not be more excited.
When I was a senior in high school, I remember browsing around the local Border’s store after work one day. What stood out to me among the masses of CDs was a hot pink, glossy album cover with a two shiny boxing gloves hanging from a gold chain. The album I faced was Cat Power’s “The Greatest,” one of her more critically acclaimed works. I was familiar with the title track, and I was also in high school and thus able to spend money carelessly, so l spontaneously bought the album and listened to it on my drive home.
At this point in my life, I was becoming enamored with women who sang. Previously, I had had brief but intense love affairs with the music of Tegan and Sara, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Feist, and I’d made it my mission to listen to more women singers. Yet when I tuned into Cat Power, my long term relationship with her music has lasted to this day. My love for her smokey, soulful vocals on “The Greatest” turned me onto her more indie style on 2003’s “You Are Free,” and soon I’d also explored her younger wail of a voice on her 90s albums, specifically “What Would The Community Think” and “Moon Pix.” In other words, I listened to all of Cat Power’s discography in the short span of my second semester of my senior year, and I listened to it over and over again.
I fell in love with Cat Power at a time when her music making was in quite a lull. Her last album of original songs, at that time, was “The Greatest.” While she released “Jukebox” in 2008, the album was primarily composed of covers. So when I found out she would release a brand new studio album, “Ruin,” this September, I was ecstatic. When I found out she was coming to Ithaca of all places, my hometown, at the very beginning of her tour, I was speechless.
I’m still in denial of her upcoming appearance at the State Theatre, and I’m not sure I’ll really believe this is all real until I am sitting in my third row seats, watching her perform live. It’s truthfully no exaggeration when I emphasize that I am an incredibly huge fan of her music. If I were to add up the number of times I have listened to the album “What Would the Community Think” alone, the count honestly would probably reach the hundreds. I think I know all the words to every song she’s ever released, and I’ve even covered three of her songs and put them up on YouTube for the world to see. If it needs to be said again, I am a super fangirl. And I don’t know what will happen when I finally see her perform next Thursday, but I imagine I will freak out quite a bit. I even fear I may alarm the two friends I’m going with (and they should take this as a warning).
That being said, though my own love for Cat Power’s music is excessive, I urge anybody who has even heard a song or two to check out the show. Cornell Concert Commission is selling tickets at a reduced price on their website, and the price is a steal! Cat Power’s performance record has been spotty in the past, as she’s openly admitted in interviews that she struggled with alcoholism and anxiety, but her most recent work, especially the new tracks on “Ruin,” are excellent. She’s overcome her anxious period and grown to be comfortable in her own skin with her own voice. I absolutely can’t wait to see her show for myself, and I hope nobody misses out on this awesome concert opportunity.
To buy tickets from Concert Commission, hit up their site here.
The State Theatre’s event page is here.
You can listen to the new album’s title track, “Ruin,” here.
Images taken from catpowermusic.com and store.matadorrecords.com
