Canceled! Cat Power!

photo by Eric Uhlir

Cat Power w/ Dirty Delta Blues and Appaloosa
Sunday, April 20
Stubbs (801 Red River)
$25; doors at 7; outdoor show
[info] | [tickets]

Let's not mince words: when Cat Power comes to town, it's pretty much mandated by law that you attend. This is because not only will you be able to witness one of the most shockingly talented vocalists in the world, but you also may learn a thing or two. For those who don't remember, let's do a brief recap of what we learned last time the timeless (and timelessly eccentric) soulstress was in town: that Chan Marshall, the woman behind the voice, is on steroids, that she was born deaf, that she wants to shoot her monitors, that she likes to apologize to the crowd, that steroids make you angry (and that's why they make you stronger), and on and on she went with her pearls of wisdom. Pretty much, she's a spectacularly unpredictable bounty of non-sequiturs and stunning musicianship.

And that's what you get with the enigma that is Chan Marshall, a woman courted by Chanel mastermind Karl Lagerfeld, praised by critics and old-timers, and consistently categorized as a true-to-life headcase--you get all that, and some of the most gorgeous singing you'll find anywhere. And you'll be able to see her, plus her flawless backing band, this Sunday night at Stubb's.

If that's not enough to convince you, adding fuel to the fire is Cat Power's new album, Jukebox, which features a dazzling array of interpretive cover songs by such no-names as Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and our boy Hank Williams. Sweetening the pot by opening up for Cat Power will be the respected folkies, Appaloosa. So there.