By: David Schultz
[Photo by Larry Mortenson]

Cat Power is demented.

Brilliant talents, like those who are mentally touched, have been known to march to the beat of a different drummer. Perhaps the portion of the psyche dedicated to stereotypical social exchanges becomes overpowered by the creative spirit. Maybe the mental mechanism that filters the interesting thoughts from the bizarre gets set towards a different level. Possibly, they just think their every thought is equally fascinating. Whatever the cause, Cat Power seems completely and entirely demented and it made for a fascinating case study this past Monday night at New York City's Hiro Ballroom.

Playing under stage lights dimmed to the same level as the Hiro Ballroom's Japanese paper lanterns, Power played the venue with the same casualness as if she'd invited the audience into her living room. With most of the Hiro occupied by devoted followers seated cross-legged on the floor, Power held court before a captivated audience that hung on her every word.

In between songs, Power took lengthy interludes, some more than five minutes in length, in which she spoke to the audience in a style that could be generously described as "free associative." Her ramblings ran the gamut from blunt, sometimes scatological, matchmaking attempts, bewildering references to her pets, mystifying cries for friends and guitarists somewhere in the audience and nonsensical gibberish that rivaled Jodie Foster's portrayal from Nell. More endearing than pretentious, Power's commentary made the intimate Hiro Ballroom even cozier as she truly let her guard down bringing the audience into her world, if only for a couple surreal hours.

When not seated at the piano, Power slowly paced the stage, her performance drawing all of its power from her voice. Backed with just a fuzzy, languorous electric guitar, the bare and sparse backing instrumentation left it to Power to carry each song with her vocals, which she did with stunning results. The audience remained respectfully quiet throughout the performance, creating an eerie calm that suited the mood. The effect had the same evocative quality of the Cowboy Junkies at their mellowest. While not exactly upbeat, Power's time at the piano provided the evening's most spirited music as she touched on "Living In Bars" and "The Greatest." In interpreting material like Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You To Long" and "These Arms Of Mine," Smokey Robinson's "Tracks Of My Tears," and other standards, Power hardly adhered to the song's traditional structure, filtering it through her own musical processor. In adhering closest to "House Of The Rising Sun," she gave the Animals' classic a haunting quality.

The same things that make Power ripe for ridicule are the exact same things that make her so appealing to her fans, who seem eager to be a part of her world and the focus of her attention. Anyone wanting to show their with-it-ness refers to Power as Chan, her real name. In referring to herself in the third person for a good portion of the evening, Power does nothing to quench those hipster fires. Possibly all you need to know in order to get a sense of Power's core fan base is the fact that she sold out the Hiro Ballroom on Super Bowl Sunday. Her people aren't fascinated by Colts or Bears, they just want Cat.

Labels: Cat Power