Cat Power sings iconic Bob Dylan tour at the Basie in Red Bank
How does it feel to be a Rolling Stone?
Find out Monday, Feb. 12, at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank as indie rocker Cat Power begins the U.S. leg of her “Cat Power Sings Dylan” tour.
Cat Power, aka Atlanta native Chan Marshall, recently released the critically acclaimed “Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert,” which re-interprets Dylan's famous UK concert where he went electric.
“Opening in Red Bank is particularly special — just like in 1966 when Bob played those songs at (Manchester) Free (Trade) Hall, the night before he played them at Royal Albert Hall," said Cat Power via email. "It's an absolute nod to that initial gesture. New Jersey has soooo much soul.”
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It's a quirk of rock 'n' roll history — and a mislabeled bootleg record — that the show is identified as taking place at the Royal Albert Hall. It actually went down at the Manchester Free Trade Hall just prior to the Royal Albert Hall show. Deeper still, Dylan actually first went electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
“Some of the greatest people in life and people in rock 'n' roll history are from New Jersey!” said Cat Power. “The earnestness of my New Jersey fam is similar to when people say the nicest people are from the Midwest. True, but give New Jersey the bone for once! I'm honored to begin my tour with the Red Bank crew. They know how to get down!!”
The same cannot be said of 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” concert crowd. They infamously called Dylan “Judas” for going electric. Cat Power recorded her album at the actual Royal Albert Hall in 2022.
No cries of “Judas!” these days, but plenty of soulful, prairie-whirled rock 'n' roll and the yearning echoes of Al Cooper's organ, played by Jordan Summers, will ring into the night.
Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” sounds especially fantastic on the album.
“Taking this album out on the road is a perfect storm. I had no intention of recording the live show at Royal Albert Hall in London,” Cat Power said. “I was so honored to be able to actually do something like this — that recording the show was purely an afterthought.
"I hope I can deliver these songs with the same resonance, clarity and presence for every night," she added. "I am so grateful to have this job. I am so grateful to Bob as the Mount Everest of American songwriters to basically create my job for me. I can't say I would even be alive today if I hadn't become a songwriter. I feel certain Bob had a lot to do with it.”
Go: Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank, $49.40 to $99.50; thebasie.org.
Jaheim returns
What do Jaheim and Bruce Springsteen have in common?
They have two things. First, both are from New Jersey. Second, they both covered the William Bell soul classic “I Forgot to Be Your Lover.” The track was re-interpreted by Jaheim on his 2002 hit “Put That Woman First”; Springsteen covered it on his 2023 soul album, “Only the Strong Survive.”
Jaheim, aka Jaheim Hoagland of New Brunswick, makes a rare concert appearance in his home state Friday, Feb. 9, at the “A Night of Love” with Keyshia Cole, Trey Songz and K. Michele. It's the first show of “The Love Hard Tour,” which crosses the nation February through April.
“Wait Jaheim??? OMG! Welcome back!” commented a fan on Jah's Instagram.
Go: Jaheim, Keyshia Cole, Trey Songz and K. Michele, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, 25 Lafayette St., Newark\, $155.50 and up; prucenter.com.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Cat Power sings Dylan tour at Count Basie in Red Bank
