When Bob Dylan played Festival Hall on April 19th and 20th in 1966, it was standing room only, fast forward to tonight’s show almost 59 years later and it’s a fully seated affair, with comfy cushioned seats and bougie carpet.
Buck Meek (Alexander Buckley Meek), is priming the throng with his lo fi folk, alt-country tunes, including his latest single “Outta Body.”
Orange hued spotlights, and dim mood lighting channel the essence of the 1966 show with Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power paying homage to Bob Dylan’s show performed at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in 1966. Spurning a bootleg album erroneously called Royal Albert Hall Concert, where Dylan famously switches from acoustic to electric guitar and full band, half way through the show to heckles of “Judas.”
Cat Power is accompanied by Henry Munson on guitar and Chris Joyner on harmonica/ piano and opens the acoustic portion of the set with “She Belongs to Me.” Her husky, dulcet tones rendering all speechless, and it’s so quiet no one dares make a sound. She’s battling a cold and taking sips of herbal tea in between songs, but her singing is faultless. Marshall is commanding the crowd’s full attention, her light blue pant suit shimmering amid the subdued lighting. “Visions of Johana,” is performed with aplomb, and “It’s all Over Now, Baby Blue,” is one of many highlights in tonight’s set. Whilst Dylan was heckled for going electric, Marshall is heckled for the subdued lighting, by a guy in the bleachers who screams out “We can’t see!” Perhaps Dylan (or his spirit) is somewhere in the crowd tonight heckling Marshall for authenticity as she alludes to.
“This song is about the little child that you are, that we are. It reminds me of being a little kid. I love this song and it’s easy to understand these lyrics,” professes Marshall before singing the iconic, “Hey Mr. Tambourine Man,” to loud cheers and applause from the audience. She is a performer who wears her heart on her sleeve and it’s obvious the amount of love and respect she has for Dylan’s songs.
When she turns around the music stand, the words “Electric” appear, inciting screams of appreciation from punters. Munson on guitar and Joyner on harmonica/piano are joined by guitarist Adaline Jasso, bassist Matthew Schuessler, drummer Daniel Potrach and Jordan Summers on synth and organ
“Tell Me Momma,” kicks off the electric part of the set, which sees Cat Power sway to the music. Eric Von Scmidt’s “Baby Let me Follow You,”
“Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” and “Ballad of a Thin Man,” are all highlights, but the song that draws the loudest cheers and is undoubtedly the best song of the night is “Like a Rolling Stone.” Cat Power and her band of accomplished musicians brought down the house on Thursday night with the crowd giving them a standing ovation.
Set List
1.She Belongs to Me
2. 4th Time Round
3. Visions of Johana
4. It’s all Over now Baby Blue
5.Desolation Row
6. Just Like a Woman
7. Mr Tambourine Man
Electric
8. Tell me, Momma
9.I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like we Never Have met).
10. Baby Let me Follow You Down
11. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
12. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
13. One Too Many Mornings
14. Ballad of a Thin Man
15. Like a Rolling Stone
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