Cat Power AKA Chan Marshall – Photo by Inez & VinoodhRoadrunner was filled with a distinctly Gen X and Millennial crowd on the evening of March 4th. The marquee event was a special evening with Cat Power, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her acclaimed 7th studio album The Greatest.

There was no opener. Cat Power, also known as Chan Marshall, walked onto a barely-lit, minimally furnished stage with her band and got straight to the point. She began with the titular track for The Greatest and performed the entire album front to back, in order. Two decades on from the album’s release, however, Marshall opted for some changes that might have surprised anyone expecting a simple rehash show. Her soulfully husky vocals were unquestionably the highlight of the live performance, but her band elevated the experience as they played reworked versions of the classic tracks.

One particularly notable change was the new rendition of “Hate” that departed from the unembellished, melancholic album version in favor of a groovier, fleshed-out, bass-driven affair. Another obvious change was the autotuned reinterpretation of “The Moon” that started quietly and slowly built to a robust crescendo. Marshall and her band concluded their retread of The Greatest with a slightly funkier edition of closing song “Love & Communication” before continuing for several more cuts from other albums. Besides her own writing, represented by “I Don’t Blame You,“ “Manhattan,”  and “Good Woman,” the final segment of the set prominently featured covers of James Brown, Kitty Wells, and Prince.

While bantering with the crowd, Marshall recalled her early gigs in Massachusetts and gave a fond shout-out to The Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge and its co-owner Joseph Sater. She was visibly shocked when several members of the audience yelled out to let her know that Sater had died less than two days prior. After taking a moment to absorb the news, Marshall dedicated a heartfelt cover of “I’ll Be Seeing You” to Sater.

Cat Power’s performance of The Greatest was a testament to the enduring appeal of her landmark album, but more than that, it was a demonstration of the growth that Chan Marshall has undergone in the 20 years since its release. She seemed delighted to be on stage, locked in and performing a solid show. The refined artistry displayed at Roadrunner might have seemed unheard of in the messier days of Cat Power in 2006. Marshall herself seemed surprised, commenting “Who knew I’d be alive… who knew I’d have fun singing these songs?” Still the most concise statement was the very first one that Chan Marshall made when she walked on stage: “20 Years later and we’re still here!”