Nancy Pants was asked out by this Art student who was trying to get in her drawers. He suggested going to see CAT POWER. Spencer had heard a few tracks and thought it would be worth while. Besides, he had dated Nancy and didn't care for the ART student so chaperoning seemed like fun. The following is his first person account.

We got there and it was not what I expected. The recordings I heard had drums, etc. but this dank little bar had nothing but a piano. It was a hippie poet crowd. They sat on the floor with their legs crossed and hushed each other. CAT sang (moaned) for hours and I drank to compensate. The ART student was busy schmoozing Nancy, getting all " ohh yeah, thats heavy, I really dig this" on her. So I felt it was time to shake things up. I suggested we move closer to the stage.

I dragged them to the front, " come on, you can't hear back there" I said as I stepped over unwashed heads and stepped on hands. We reached the stage and Nancy asked "why are we doing this?". "Because I'm an ASSHOLE" I replied loudly.

It was at this point CAT POWER stopped in mid song. Her back to me, she swung her left hand behind her back and pointed in our direction. The crowd moved the stringy hair from their eyes and glared at us. We sat down, but as I motioned to the crowd to "be cool" I accidentally bumped the mike stand. I looked up to see CAT POWER get up and RUN from the stage crying " I can't do this "!

"Crap" I thought as I got up and ran after her.

The next thing I know I'm backstage and a door closes behind me. I'm in this little room surrounded by bean bag chairs and candles and CATs looking at me like like I'm a stalker. I pleaded " its OK, you can go back out there, I won't hurt you". She didn't look convinced. " No I can't, too many bad vibes man." she said as she backed away from me.

It was about this time that I noticed the sound behind me was someone trying to enter the security code. I turned as the door opened and a tall thin guy says " Dude, you'll have to leave". We never saw the ART student again after that night, but I do remember that as we left Nancy turned to me and said "That was the coolest thing I ever saw".

Having heard the story I had to look up CAT POWER. I found the regurgitated blurb below and I think it speaks for itself. I never liked people who spell their names funny anyway.


Cat Power’s Chan (pronounced "Shawn") Marshall exists on a plane somewhat different than yours or mine, as anybody who has heard her sing knows. Her voice is unlike anyone you’ve heard before, combining raw intimacy with a gruff, chalky confidence, and while any attempt to interpret her lyrics comes up short, their plain-spoken lines belie an otherwordly perspective on primal human emotions. She's abstract, but always honest and true. That awareness has caused a tidal wave of adulation for Chan from her giant fan base, one that has tripled with each new record released. They’ll go anywhere with her, trusting that it always leads to a familiar place that will never seem the same.