Atlanta-born singer songwriter Chan Marshall, more commonly known as Cat Power, has built a career with soulful original releases like 'The Greatest', but also through unrecognisable cover versions of artists such as Bob Dylan on 'The Covers Record' and 'Jukebox'.
At the Adelaide Festival, she again recreates Bob Dylan’s infamous 1966 bootleg recording from 'The Royal Albert Hall'; like Dylan, she was electric.
When Cat Power stepped into the blinding lights of Her Majesty’s Theatre, she immediately gestured to the lighting crew to turn them down; when they didn’t respond, she verbalised: “they are too bright. . . For me”. For the remainder of the acoustic portion of the set, she and her two band mates were cloaked in darkness. It was a metaphor for her career. Power, like Bob Dylan, has struggled with the spotlight. Early in her career, performances would sometimes be cut short; the stage was a place of anxiety, which she overcame with alcohol. On this night, though, she disclosed she was uncharacteristically jubilant after a tough tour. Maybe it was the tequila and cigarettes, which she consumed pre-performance, after a period of sobriety. Or, as she said, it could have been a blessing.
Shying from the spotlight isn’t the only trait she shares with Dylan. She too spent her early career in New York; at 23 she visited the Royal Hall and imagined being asked back there with Bob during sound check. She also rarely sings a song live the way it sounded on the recording. Maybe it’s because, as she explained while flicking the pages of her folder of song lyrics in front of her, every song she sings brings pain; pain because she’s feeling the words anew every time, embodying them. If you want a faithful tribute show, there’s an abundance of these at festival time. Cat Power live, though, is all about the deliberate subversion of expectations; of knowing the rules and breaking them, even if this runs the risk of being called 'Judas'.
Dylan’s melodies and delivery only really appear at times; maybe on the opening lines of 'It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue', or the first line of the chorus of 'Mr Tambourine Man'. It can be disconcerting, like with freeform jazz, to not hear the notes you’re expecting to hear. Simultaneously, though, Dylan’s songs, when channelled through the vessel of Chan, emerge with new meaning. You can discern which lines resonate particularly with her; the emphasis is not the same. Like the touring Dylan, Cat Power is backed by a smoking band who remain faithful to the 1966 recording, and who skilfully gather around Power’s swirling interpretations.
Like all great art should, 'Cat Power Sings Dylan' left audiences divided; some stood and cheered, some rushed to the exits. All saw a genuine expression of artistry reflective of this moment.
