Top 5 Worst Things about the Cat Power Concert

Last night I ventured to the Culture Room (an hour drive for me) to watch the lovely Cat Power (aka Charlyn "Chan" Marshall) coo an hour and half of rhythm and blues. And though her performance and covers of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday were polished, passionate and inviting like a piece of silk stroking an electric guitar, the night tittered between heaven and hell. And the latter often won out:

5. I admit the ticket said 8pm and I arrived at 9pm. But, normally doors open at the time listed on the stub and the performance begins an hour and half later. So, going by that logic, I had 30 minutes until the show. Wrong. When I arrived, there were about 40 people standing in line waiting to get in. Some people had tickets. Others didn’t. It was annoying. It took 35 minutes to get in and I missed two songs.

4. If you’re not familiar with Cat Power’s music, it’s bluesy and mellow. It’s not the type of music that’s fit for a stadium or an amphitheater – it’s intimate, like a confession. But one chap insisted on repeatedly screaming, "Hell yeah" and "I love you Cat Power." He acted like he was in a football game. He cut off the ending of seven or eight songs.

3. I learned what it means to be ‘packed like a can of sardines’. I could barely breathe. I became closely imitate with several strangers. I think I may owe money because I’m sure some people charge for that. Then there was the pushing; the constant fear that someone was going to accidentally spill beer on me. It was a fire hazard waiting to happen. And trying to reach the bathroom was like climbing Mount Everest.

2. Why do some people choose to attend concerts to loudly and obnoxiously talk during the entire performance? There are plenty of locations where carrying a conversation is better suited, like a restaurant or even a bar. But, during a show when you have to compete with a band and singer? It’s distracting and rude to your fellow concert goers.

1. If you’re over 25 and want to feel old, go to a Cat Power show. The majority of the kids will be 18 or 21.