A woman is seen from the shoulders up standing in front of a field of white flowers. She is wearing a blue shirt and has wind swept brown hair.

Cat Power 'The Greatest' 20th anniversary

  • Contemporary Music
  • Concert Hall
  • Seating map

The indie icon celebrates 20 years of her soul-soaked classic

One of indie rock’s true icons, the mercurial singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, returns to the Sydney Opera House to mark the 20th anniversary of her 2006 album The Greatest, performing the soul-soaked classic in its entirety.

In pursuit of the slinky, sensuous rhythms of the ’70s Hi Records sound, the Atlanta-born Marshall – already a bona fide star in the wake of Moon Pix (1998) and The Covers Record (2000) – travelled to Memphis, where she connected with Al Green’s guitarist and songwriting partner Mabon “Teenie” Hodges (“Love and Happiness”, “Take Me To The River”), his brother Leroy “Flick” Hodges and a host of crack Memphis musicians. 

The result was an album of rare, sublime alchemy: across songs such as the swinging, gospel-like “Lived in Bars” and the ethereal title track, the record combined Marshall’s signature smoky vocals and evocatively bruised songwriting with the horns, funky strings and smooth background vocals of the music she grew up on. The record marked a turning point for Marshall as a musician and live performer, imbuing the notoriously vulnerable singer-songwriter with the confidence and vibrancy that courses through the songs. Earlier this year, Marshall and her band released the EP Redux, which features a brand-new rerecording of The Greatest’s “Could We,” alongside covers of Prince and James Brown.

This will be Marshall’s first Sydney Opera House performance since her acclaimed Cat Power Sings Dylan show for Vivid LIVE in 2023. 

Don’t miss this very special celebration of a one-of-a-kind record.

Presented by Sydney Opera House

Event details

Cat Power reclaims The Greatest with soulful grace.

The Arts Fuse

Attending this event

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Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Concert Hall

The Concert Hall is located beneath the largest of Sydney Opera House’s roof sails, filling the upper levels of the west side of the building. Best accessed through the covered concourse. 

All Sydney Opera House foyers are accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators).

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