Cat Power's Slow-Burning Bonnaroo Set Attracts Vedder, Olsens

While Mastodon bashed away across the field, as the sun began to set Cat Power's Chan Marshall — backed by a crew of jazzbos — turned out a gorgeous set of slow-burning tunes from The Greatest and her latest covers record, Jukebox. Highlights included her rendition of the Miracles' "Tracks of My Tears" and the meditative ballad "The Greatest." Prowling across the stage with confidence, at times crooning into her palm as if she were holding a mirror, Marshall demonstrated how far her live show has come in recent years. And believe it or not, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and the Olsen Twins were both spotted checking out the set from backstage.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

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