Though that sounds like some sort of social agenda for pets, it’s actually how we spent last night, seeing Cat Power, a.k.a. Chan Marshall, play the late show at the Malibu Performing Arts Center. I got home from my first day of a four-day fellowship at the lab around 4:45 – the day was a lot of fun and very interesting. We had a little time to relax before we ventured out west, via the 10 to Santa Monica and then up the Pacific Coast Highway. Traffic wasn’t bad, actually, and it made Santa Monica seem a lot closer than the last time we headed there, using what seemed like the most logical but turned out to be the absolute worst route, Santa Monica Blvd. itself. This time we were better informed, and made it to Duke’s on the beach by 7:00 or so. We enjoyed dinner overlooking the crashing surf as the sun set, and then headed to the venue for the show.

The space was really nice and intimate, with very comfortable seats and great sound. The audience was very quiet, except for the guy who made the “more cowbell” joke about six years too late. When she was talking, she rambled and seemed lost and self-conscious, but when she played, she was a different person altogether, and her songs, both originals and covers, were riveting. Her voice is light and airy, while at the same time extremely powerful, and her simple piano and guitar work provided the perfect support. I just wish she had spent less time spilling tea, running backstage to get a towel, and telling us how tired she felt. It started out charming, but then it started taking away from the show for me. She played for more than two hours, I think, and ended with an a cappella rendition of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.” Despite the somewhat strange feeling of the show as a whole, her music has been in my head all day.