Cat Power Crazy About Paris - The Grand Rex, November 5

There is a love story going on between Cat Power and Paris, I must say. Yesterday evening, at the Grand Rex, at the end of a very solid show - one of the best that I saw - 2.500 people gave a standing ovation of more than 10 minutes to Miss Chan Marshall, the girl from Atlanta.
There is a love story because she already came to Paris 11 times since 1996. Most of those dates, in small or big venues, where… well you know, Cat Power emotional, tense and sometime dramatic performances, one of them ended up in a complete silence while she was leaving the stage with shame, a wine glass in one hand, knowing that once again she did an almost miserable performance. But, the French people came back again and again. Of course, yesterday, most of the audience was there to see (watch!) her for the first time due to the success of her seventh album The Greatest (Matador, February 2006).
There is a love story between Paris and Chan Marsahll, she confirmed at the end of the show, who start when she was a very young girl, a teenager proudly wearing on her chest for years a pin with Paris written on it…
For me, it was my tenth experience of a Cat Power concert in Paris (is it dangerous, Doctor?); I just missed the first one in 1996. I knew it will be a perfect show because it’s a new Chan now since her hospitalization in February. I was more anxious of veteran Memphis soul musicians backing her up. But they where just fine, happy to play and sing with her. The first part consisted mainly of songs form The Greatest ending with a very emotional Where Is My Love? And after the solo break of Chan on piano or with her new guitar, The Memphis Rhythm Band came back for the final part consisting mainly of covers like Hit The Road Jack (one of Ray Charles’s all-time classic), (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones) and, as a very good surprise, Crazy from Gnarls Barkley.
Her next album, Sun, is already written, and she talks of a second covers album; top of the list are James Brown and Billie Holiday songs. I hope she will include Crazy, one of the best songs from 2006.

Cat Power's MySpace page
Cat Power’s Matador Records site
Cat Power’s site for The Greatest

Cat Power - Love And Communication .mp3 from The Greatest (2006)

Cat Power - Rockets .mp3 from Dear Sir (1995) and Myra Lee (1996)

Photo: Jeff Graham – AOL Music