Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band - Variety Playhouse, 9/12/06



I've long groused that if Chan Marshall wishes to make her living playing gigs - you know, that system wherein you take money from the public to perform music, and then deliver on said promise - that she learn to do so already. Notorious for disappointing (and for a certain demographic, titillating) her audience with faulty stops and starts, oozing the consequences of unspoken personal strife, a walking disaster (or was it some kind of elaborate joke?) - the notion of her playing a successful show - hell, even completing an entire song, much less making it shine, brings to mind that classic headline from The Onion:

HOLY SHIT
MAN WALKS ON FUCKING MOON

Well, among this hometown crowd, at last, something was different. Everything was different. She was doing it. Not just one tune, but two, three, the whole damn set, even the solo numbers. And she did so gloriously. The surreal sight of watching her display onstage emotions other than doubt, insecurity or apologetic frustration elicited first wonder, then pride among those present. She explained the transformation herself midway through the set: "I'm sober...hello!!"



Serving as support system and dazzling on their own terms, the Memphis Rhythm Band buoyed Marshall's elegant delivery with full-bodied, easygoing soul power. Nine or ten strong from my vantage point, these veteran players punched up their Greatest numbers with a lively, authoritative presence, spiking "Willie" with sharp background vocals, gently rolling "Living Proof" into being, and making it clear that their collaboration was one nourished by tremendous affection.

Chiefly responsible for creating a sultry vibe with vocals as smoky as one of her Parliaments, Marshall turned playful, dramatic and physically free. Goofy and joyful, she cracked jokes, quoted Arrested Development and periodically waved to familiar faces, mimicking both horse and chicken at times and generally shaking what mama gave her. Just as quickly, though, she silenced the crowd with "Where Is My Love" and a forlorn "House of the Rising Sun," and hypnotized them with the witchy "Cross Bones Style." Reverting to form, Marshall morphed her Jagger posturing into a churning, wildly reworked version of her take on "Satisfaction," something it appears that she's attained in abundance (enough to follow that number with a sly, pointed interpretation of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy"). In short, this evening made up for every fumbling "I'm sorry" in the universe.

- Amanda Langston
- Photos by Alex Adan

Let Cat Power blow your mind at one of the following locations (with Memphis Rhythm Band unless otherwise indicated):

9/13/06 - Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL
9/15/06 - Austin City Limits Festival, Austin, TX
9/16/06 - Gypsy Ballroom, Dallas, TX
9/17/06 - Stubb's BBQ, Austin, TX
9/20/06 - Venustiano Carranza 25, Mexico City, Mexico (solo)
10/28/06 - Vegoose Festival, Las Vegas, NV
11/1/06 - Roundhouse, London, UK
11/3/06 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
11/4/06 - Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
11/5/06 - Grand Rex, Paris, France
11/7/06 - Kaufleuten, Zurich, Switzerland
11/9/06 - Bob Dylan Tribute, Avery Fisher Hall, New York, NY (solo)

The Other Sound Festival @ the EARL, Friday, 9/8/06



"We never had to do sit-ups because our abs were constantly worked out with laughter," recalls Michelle DuBois of her time spent as half of one of the Atlanta music scene's most fruitful partnerhips, her collaboration with Shonali Bhowmik in Ultrababyfat. Originally lacking its superlative prefix, the pop-punk quartet evolved throughout the 90's into a raucous, crackerjack live act with a national following. 2001's Eight Balls in Reverse captured their gift for vivid, memorable songwriting and balancing rough and smooth musical impulses, while extensive touring behind the record solidified the lineup of Bhowmik, DuBois, Jeff Holt and Jody Bilinski. Ultrababyfat were at a peak in terms of creation and visibility.

When the foursome recorded a follow-up the next fall with Eight Balls producer Matt Goldman, the future was uncertain. "We knew we had to record it," remembers Bhowmik, "and then we knew that we were in for big changes in terms of focusing on other things in our lives." DuBois formed local favorites Luigi, while Bhowmik moved to New York, where she now practices law, rocks out with a new outfit, Tigers & Monkeys, and performs in comedy troupe The Variety Shac. The new record was destined to wait for an opportune moment.

It looks like that time has arrived. Two Sheds' release of No Ringo No, explains DuBois, "falls in the midst of good times we are each having, as an unexpected treat, and leaves more question marks as to what the future might hold." Bhowmik may have the answer. "We always laugh about us spending time together when we are old ladies," she reveals. "Just thinking about making a record together at age 80 sounds so great. Wouldn't that be amazing???"

Ultrababyfat headline The Other Sound Festival this Friday, and are supported by The Five Foot Flame, Engineering, The Preakness, Faith Kleppinger and Gentleman Caller. No Ringo No is out now on Two Sheds.

- Amanda Langston
- Photo by Frank Mullen

Ultrababyfat
Two Sheds Music
The Other Sound Festival