Cat Power Channels Pathos, Covers CCR During Stirring Set

Cat Power may not ever conquer her on stage awkwardness but at least she's found ways to defeat a majority of her fears. Saying barely a word to an overflowing early evening crowd, and backed by a four-piece band that included drum wizard Jim White, the singer focused on maximizing muted minimalism. Largely sticking to recent material and cover songs, the vocalist channeled more desperation ("Woman Left Lonely"), faith ("Metal Heart") and melancholy ("Tracks of My Tears") than one encounters in a self-help book — and certainly more than raucous festival-goers are used to. Yet her greatest moment came during a slow-crawling rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," which proved protest needn't always be shouted.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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