The Local Beat Preview 1/20/12

This week on The Local Beat we only have one guest to welcome. At 6 p.m. Jeff Crawford of Arbor Ridge Studios is coming on to chat about a new project. In addition to being active in over five dozen bands (only a slight exaggeration) and heading popular local recording studio Arbor Ridge Studios, Jeff is also the music director at The Gathering Church in Durham. The Gathering Church has been meeting since 2009 at Creekside Elementary School and has become well known for its worship services with Jeff's musical talents taking stage. In 2010 the church released Christmas Nights: Music From The Gathering Church to great fanfare. Now, just a little over a year later, a new album is being released: Hymns From The Gathering Church. The album features a plethora of well-known local artists performing their takes on traditional Christian hymns.  Phil Cook (Megafaun), Heather McEntire (Mount Moriah), Seth Kauffman (Floating Action), Mandolin Orange, Skylar Gudasz, Ryan Gustafson, Brett Harris, Nick Jaeger (The Tomahawks), Mark Simonsen (The Old Ceremony), and James Wallace all contributed to the record.

Join Jeff and I on The Local Beat as we take a listen and chat about this new album.

As always, the fun starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.! Be sure to follow the Local Beat on Twitter or Facebook and download tons of free local music on our ReverbNation page!

The Mountain Goats come home

On April 8, the Cat’s Cradle was bursting with excitement as two local legends came home to play together in one epic evening.  That night the lucky few who managed to get their hands on a ticket (the show sold out weeks in advance) got the opportunity to see the North Carolina-grown bands: Megafaun and The Mountain Goats. I arrived a bit late, just in time to see Megafaun play their last two songs. Even though those two songs were fantastic, I was disappointed to have missed the majority of their set, but I arrived just in time to see what I came for: John Darnielle and The Mountain Goats.

I doubt that even some of the most devoted Mountain Goats fans present could have anticipated just how fantastic of a show it was going to be. There were literally too many great moments to list, but I’ll do my best to outline the highlights.  The show consisted of a healthy mix of tracks off of the new album and old classics. Before playing ‘Birth of Serpents,’ John told a short story regarding the origin of the song. He talked about a time where he recently went to Portland and tried to reconnect with an old friend, only to find that his friend had been run over by a car and died the previous year. The audience fell to a hush and listened with an impenetrable attentiveness as the stage erupted in a cavalcade of emotion and sound.

As with most Mountain Goats shows, there was a segment in the middle where the band left the stage and John did a solo set.  The set began with someone in the audience shouting, “play My Favorite Things,” to which John shrugged, said ok, and launched into a funny unreleased track about Coltrane.  The show carried on with songs about vampires, women with mystical powers, and crystal meth.

For the last song of their set, The Mountain Goats asked Megafaun to join them on stage.  Both bands, accompanied by just about the entire audience, performed ‘This Year,’ and it seemed as if the entire Cat’s Cradle was pulsing to the beat of the song.  The band then returned for a four song encore, which included the fan favorite ‘No Children’ and ended with the entire crowd chanting “Hail Satan!” as they closed with ‘The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton.’

But that wasn’t all.  The band then returned to the stage for a second encore and played “California Song,” during which John left the stage for the night giving the other members of the band a chance to flex their skills. The show made for a truly magical night and is a memory that will surely be cherished by each and every fan that had the opportunity to make it that evening.

Hopscotch Lineup to be Released 4.20

Hopscotch, the Independent Weekly's annual music festival in downtown Raleigh will be releasing the lineup for their September 3-day festival on Wednesday, April 20th. Greg Lowenhagen of Independent Weekly will be on-air with our very own Chuck from 11-noon to talk about the show and this year's line up.

Last year hosted names like Panda Bear, Public Enemy, The Rosebuds,  Sharon Van Etten, Megafaun, Best Coast and more than 100 other bands.  This year is sure to be even better; full of national acts as well as great local talent.  Tune in to find out who!

Tickets will go on sale as the lineup is released on April 20th. Free 3-day wristbands were given out at local record stores for Record Store Day April 16. Stay tuned to WKNC and keep reading Independent Weekly to find out ways you can win tickets.

For more musical fun, Hopscotch is hosting a few free local shows throughout Raleigh on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (4/21-4/23) in celebration of their lineup release!

Megafaun Show RECAP!

Saturday, January 22, the second night of the Megafaun weekend, I was lucky enough to get into the sold out show. I got off work at ten thirty and raced over to Kings. Upon entering I found out that I had missed Cloudlines. Super bummed, I reached for a Duck Rabbit Milk Stout. I made my way through the crowd and took a seat at my favorite viewing spot, behind the sound booth. Brad Cook was the first of Megafaun to walk out on stage. The crowd excitedly greeted the rest of the band as they got ready to play. We were greeted back with "What the f*ck did we do to get all of you here tonight," ...or something like that.

After a couple songs, Megafaun talked of the band Megafun and jokingly played one of their super fun, silly, dancy tracks. The show continued, and I stood singing along to my favorite song of theirs, "Volunteers." I must say it is too good live. Another beer in the show was wrapping up. The audience was still as enthused as when Megafaun first got on stage (some of these guests still enthused since last night's show).  The show had ended and we clapped ourselves to death until we got our encore. The song would be acoustic. No microphone either. The ENTIRE audience was silent. It was eerie and amazing to have a packed out show fall dead silent to hear what Megafaun was offering us. Following this song Megafaun pulled some extra friends on stage to play other instruments, including a harmonica.

A great show.  This was my first time seeing a full Megafaun show.  Can't wait to do it again!

Hometapes to host Hopscotch day party

Excellent Portland record label Hometapes will host a day party, Hometapes Friend Island, during the Hopscotch Music Festival, adding to an already hefty lineup of free day shows. The party will go down Friday, September 10 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at The Pour House and feature musical performances from Megafaun, Breathe Owl Breathe, All Tiny Creatures, Pattern Is Movement, Collections of Colonies of Bees, and Family Dynamics (a.k.a. Stars Like Fleas).

The Hopscotch Twitter announced that there will be a complete list of day parties, among other new info, added to the site soon.

And yes, WKNC, will be hosting a party, as well. More info real soon!

Do Itcha Damn Self (with Friends): The July 16 Interview

Last week, the Sajhammer and I were joined by some local guests to promote the Do Itcha Damn Self show at the Pinhook last Friday night. The premise for the event entailed taking some of your favorite local musicians and allowing them to perform on stage by themselves. Vocals, instruments, and abundant creativity were needed in order to play in sync and pull everything together.

Phil Cook of Megafaun and Catherine Edgerton of Midtown Dickens were two major proponents in starting the inaugural event. We asked them various questions, such as the types of instruments they planned to use as well as the ideas that jump started Do Itcha Damn Self. Check out the full interview below:

Part I: Part I

Part II: Part II

Do Itcha Damn Self! WKNC Interview about the One-Man-Band Extravaganza Today

Take a few of your favorite local artists and stick them on stage by themselves to perform songs both familiar and original. Essentially, that's what Do Itcha Damn Self aims to accomplish. The event at the Pinhook marks Durham's inaugural one-man-band jubilee and art fair, which will feature select band members from Triangle favorites like Megafaun and Midtown Dickens. In order to promote the event a bit further, Phil Cook of Megafaun and Catherine Edgerton of Midtown Dickens will come chat with DJ Special K and DJ Sajhammer at 11 a.m. this Friday morning (July 16).

If you have questions you'd like to ask our guests, be sure to tweet at us at: wknc881. Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online.

TrkFest 2010

Saturday, at the Piedmont Biofuel facility in Pittsboro, was the third annual TrkFest put on by Trekky Records.  TrkFest has quickly become one of the most important local music events in the area and a group of WKNC folk made it out in full force.  It was terribly hot and humid outside while the sun was out, but not one single person complained, and I believe everyone had a fantastic time.  I was lucky enough to sit next to Rich and Mimi McLaughlin of the Pneurotics, and we had a fine view of both stages.



We missed Vibrant Green and Ezekiel Graves but got there just as Yardwork started up, and those guys put on a fantastic set to start our day.


After a excruciatingly hot but fascinating tour of the entire Biofuel center, we caught the last half of Ryan Gustafson's set.  I have seen Ryan about six times now, but this was only the second with a full band, and he was awesome, as usual.

We had to escape the heat, so we headed into the shade during the Butterflies set.


Veelee went on next.  Their sound has evolved so much in the past year while still keeping with their same general style.  One song that stuck out to me was a new track named "T'morrow;" that was the first in their set.


Mount Moriah went on next and, as usual, played an incredible set.  I cannot describe how much I love this band and how excited I am for their new album to come out.

Midtown Dickens played one of my favorite sets of the evening.  Megafaun came on for a couple of songs, and Kym and Catherine are always entertaining but even more so for this event.  Fun, outgoing, and fresh is the best way to describe them.

It has been awhile since I saw Embarrassing Fruits play, but with a new album in the works, theses guys were as tight as ever as expected.


Hammer No More The Fingers has never been anything but a pleasure to see.  They are one of the most technically sound and entertaining groups in the area.  For a couple of songs they brought up Drew Anagnost and Leah Gibson from Lost in the Trees on the cellos and Brad Cook of Megafaun jumped on bass.

Lost in the Trees literally blew the crowd away playing second to last.  I was surprised that they could cram onto the smaller of the two stages, but it ended up being truly magical.  I feel like every time I see them live they sound different, which is always refreshing.

Megafaun ended the show as they always do: reeling the crowd in with their unique charisma and then putting them into a manic frenzy with their exceptional live performance.  I took several videos of the group playing some brand new songs with a variety of different musicians, all off of their upcoming album, but the sound quality came out too poor to post them.  Needless to say, every time I see Megafaun play, they retake the top of my list of local bands.

Local Beat preview: 6/25/10

It has been longer than a month since we have had a live Local Beat, and, since February, we haven't had a full, three hour show (mostly due to NC State Baseball).  I have spent the past month recovering from throat surgery and also doing some summer traveling, but it is finally time to get back into the amazing local music scene here, and tonight's show is going to be one for the ages.

We are dedicating the first two hours to Trekky Records and their kickass annual summer event TrkFest.  The event happens tomorrow, June 26, and this year there will be two stages of live music as well as the usual crafts, food, and beverages including:

• Pants-off Dance-off


• Coffee Sack Race


• Cool Kids Yoga Session


• Musical Chairs Cake Walk


• Sprinklers and Water Things


• Tour of Piedmont Biofuels


• Free Haircuts


• Shadow Puppets


• Bliss Tent

I know I am going to get a haircut that I so desperately need and jam out to my favorite local musicians that include:

• Megafaun


• Lost in the Trees


• Hammer No More The Fingers


• Embarrassing Fruits


• Midtown Dickens


• Mount Moriah


• Veelee


• Butterflies


• Ryan Gustafson


• Yardwork


• Ezekiel Graves


• Vibrant Green

This is the 3rd annual TRKFest, and tonight, on the Local Beat, we will be chatting about all of the old and new things about the festival, the bands, and hearing some live music from some of the performers tomorrow.

At 7 p.m. my favorite local band Bombadil will be dropping by for what is the first time in well over a year.  As many of you may know, Bombadil has been on recent hiatus as some of the members have moved away and Daniel Michalak has been dealing with some health problems. With that said, this is their first interview as a group in quite some time, and one of the first since their Tarpits and Canyonlands hit the streets back in 2009  (If you remember, the album was my #1 album of the year).  The entire band is going to try to make it and and perhaps play their first live music together since last summer. It is seriously going to be awesome.

DJ Ones' Five Music Facts from the past week

1. Matt & Kim have announced a massive tour with a show in Carborro at Cats Cradle in October. The duo plans on returning to the area after the band plays several festivals and shows including Lollapalooza.(via Pitchfork)

2. Justin Vernon, more commonly known as Bon Iver, is set to play alongside Megafaun at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham this September. The two acts will collaborate for three nights, and the two plan on holding several conversations at Duke and the surrounding area the week of September 13. (via Triangle Music)

3. Interpol has signed back to Matador records. After releasing their 2007 album Our Love to Admire on Capitol, the band is set to release their album this year on their old record label. (via Paste)

4. Klaxons, who haven't made much noise in the music world since their debut album in 2007, have announced plans to release their sophomore album this fall. The album is entitled Surfing the Void and contains one of the most interesting album covers in recent memory. (via Pitchfork)

5. Dave Sitek is set to record an album alongside Karen O, and it will be released in August. The album is set to have a more dance based feeling. Sitek told NME, "I had total freedom when I was making this record, so when I was recording it, it felt like I was putting everything into one basket and letting it float off into space." (via NME)

TRKfest returns for third year

Trekky Records has announce the initial lineup, as well as date and location, for it's third annual TRKfest. The festival will take place Saturday June 26, once again at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, and will feature several of the Triangle's best bands, including the experimental folk of Megafaun, the muscular indie rock of Hammer No More the Fingers, and the hauntingly beautiful folk rock of Mount Moriah. Admission will be a $10 suggested donation (and there is really no reason you should shell out less than that) and there will be a variety of activities going on throughout the day, including a coffee sack race, yoga, and free haircuts. You can check out more info here

Full lineup (with more acts to be announced May 16):
Megafaun
Hammer No More The Fingers
Mount Moriah
Embarrassing Fruits
Midtown Dickens
Veelee
Butterflies
Ryan Gustafson
Vibrant Green

EOT16 New Year, New Chancellor 1/11/10

This week's show was our first show back of the semester! We talked about everything, from what happened during break like the election of a new chancellor and the new smoking ban, to what lies ahead like a new football lineup and upcoming arts exhibitions.

NEWS
News anchor Evan Garris are back in action, with the latest headline news. He gave listeners a run-down of news on the newly-elected chancellor of N.C. State, as well as stories listeners may have missed over break such as the Senate version of the Health Care bill, the attempted bombing of a flight on Christmas Day to Detroit, rise in unemployment in the month of December, and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin joining the Fox News team, among others.

SPORTS
Correspondent Tyler Everett gave listeners a review and analysis of how the basketball team performed during winter break, the changes the football team will inevitably see next season, such as dealing with the loss of Toney Baker who made a decision to try out for NFL draft and not use his sixth year of eligibility, and more. Make sure to check it out if you missed it.

Purdue University's Randy Woodson will take over the role of NCSU chancellor from James Woodward by May 1, 2010. Photo Courtesy The Exponent.

VIP
A couple of days after the Board of Governors announced Randy Woodson, former provost at Purdue University, as the 14th chancellor of N.C State, Correspondent Caitlin Cauley (who graciously took over the interview for me when I got sick...sorry you had to bear with my cold-ridden voice throughout the rest of the show), interviewed James Woodward, N.C. State chancellor on an interim basis, who served after the resignation of former chancellor James Oblinger. Woodward discussed what it was like taking over in the midst of the scandal surrounding the University, the work he has done while chancellor and the work that lays ahead for the new chancellor, who is scheduled to begin his new post no later than May 1.

HEAR THIS
I talked to DJ Emcee Luck about the Jan. 8 concert at the Pour House, featuring Megafaun, Lonnie Walker and The Rosebuds. She gave us a review of the band's performances and collaboration at the event. If you missed the sold out show or just want to hear clips from these bands, check out the podcast.

COMMUNITY CANVAS
Correspondent Jacob Downey (who also saved me this week!) talked to Zoe Starling, curator of education for the Gregg Museum, about the museum's upcoming spring exhibitions with wood artist Dale Nish and weaver Lia Cook , student involvement in the museum and more. The museum will have an opening reception for both its shows Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. To hear more about the museum, check out this week's Community Canvas.

WOLFPACKER OF THE WEEK

Jacob also sat down with Jack Zapple and Addison Hardy, two students who along with another two students, form Harmonist, Inc., a company that "incorporates technology into every day life." Zapple and Hardy talked to EOT about their apps and what they hope to develop.

SOUNDBYTES

To wrap up the episode, Correspondent Matt Moore spoke to customers and owners/managers at Cup A Joe on Hillsborough Street and Sammy's Tap and Grill on Avent Ferry Road about the new smoking ban that took affect this week and how it has impacted business.

We have a lot of great things coming up for the second half of the year, so make sure to check back to the blog often, as well as of course wknc.org/eot, which will be receiving a pretty massive overhaul in the next couple of weeks. Make sure to keep nominating for Wolfpacker of the Week, and send us your thoughts and suggestions for the show to publicaffairs@wknc.org.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT16_011110.mp3

Holiday tunes on WKNC this Thursday afternoon

This coming Thursday, December 24, I'll be playing a selection of Christmas/winter/holiday tunes on my show from 3 to 5 p.m. I won't be playing the usual songs you've been hearing 24/7 on other radio stations for the past month, however. You'll hear covers and original songs from the likes of Yo La Tengo, Daniel Johnston, and The Flaming Lips, as well as songs by local groups including Megafaun and Schooner. So, tune in this Thursday, Christmas Eve, from 3 to 5 p.m. for a set of Christmas tunes you aren't tired of hearing

**As a side note, you can download a new cover of "I Saw Three Ships" from Megafaun for free over at the Hometapes website.

Local acts nominated for Pitchfork Readers' Poll and Grammy's

It's that time of year again.

Year-end best-of lists will be popping up all over the internet and magazines this month, with varying opinions on who had the best record, song, music video, live show, etc. etc.

The music-related website Pitchfork, however, is offering music fans the opportunity to pick their favorites in their annual Readers' Poll. And a few local acts have made their longlist of nominees in a couple of categories. Chapel Hill country-rock band band Spider Bags are nominated for Best New Artist.

Raleigh's own experimental folk group Megafaun's fantastic second record, Gather, Form & Fly, is nominated for Most Underrated Album.

Chapel Hill guitar heroes Polvo are up for Best Reunion/Comeback.

And last, but certainly not least, Greenville ex-pats Future Islands, who also recently signed to Thrill Jockey, are up for Best Hope For 2010. So take a few minutes off from whatever you're doing to waste time at work and head over to 2k9survey.pitchfork.com and help support some fantastic, home-grown music.

And while we're on the subject of nominations, North Carolina hip-hop and soul group The Foreign Exchange have been nominated for a Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Daykeeper" off of their recently released sophomore effort Leave It All Behind. Durham-via-Mali kora player Mamadou Diabaté is also up for Best Traditional World Music Album for his record Douga Mansa.

Top 10 tracks selected by Hammer No More the Fingers

This week we are lucky to have Hammer No More the Fingers sending us their list of what they are currently listening to!
1. Caverns - Remasculator
2. Deleted Scenes - The City that Never Wakes Up

3. Pink Flag - King of Scene
4. Birds of Avalon - I Never Knew
5. Megafaun - The Fade
6. Embarrassing Fruits - Details
7. Deerhoof - Spirit Ditties of no Tone
8. The Bronzed Chorus - Underpass Sunrise
9. Johnny Action Figure - Young Rider
10. My Morning Jacket - Wordless Chorus

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 7/29

Megafaun's Gather, Form, & Fly Earns 5/5 Stars
Mike Alston

“I can read a painted picture;
Of life as it was in the past;
Why did I think it would last?
When all the colors keep on shifting.”

As Megafaun acknowledges in “Impressions of the Past,” the colors have certainly shifted since Wisconsin band DeYarmond Edison moved to North Carolina just a few years ago. They parted ways in 2006, and member Justin Vernon achieved national renown under the name Bon Iver. The three remaining members started a new band, calling themselves Megafaun.

Their first release—2008’s Bury the Square—was remarkable but also remarkably short, at just six tracks. So for a while, a Megafaun live show has been an experience in extrapolation, the band performing songs that are uniquely their style, but haven’t been available in recorded versions until now. And the word “style” is far more applicable in this context than “genre” would be. As has been explained in virtually every other piece written on Megafaun, they have no easily definable genre. Megafaun is ostensibly a folk band, sure, but saying their music is informed by folk music is akin to saying modern man is related to monkey. Somewhere along the line, we received opposable thumbs; somewhere along the line, “freak folk” was born.

“Freak folk” might best be explained anecdotally. Before I ever saw the band perform live, I saw banjo player Phil Cook perform Duke Ellington’s “The Single Petal of a Rose” on piano at an event in Chapel Hill. On the way home, I found out Megafaun was playing in downtown Raleigh and drove straight there to find Cook helping his band set up to perform and then bring the house down. The next time I saw them, guitarist Brad Cook played with the rest of the guys before handling bass duties for the Rosebuds in the very next set. Those nights spoke volumes in terms of the talent and dedication this band possesses. Their musical influences and tastes are all over the map, but they channel them to make ground-breaking music. They are so talented that writing and performing a verse-chorus-verse radio single would likely be mind-numbingly boring to them.

Anything but mind-numbing, however, are the unique and strangely beautiful touches on this album. All thirteen tracks bring something different to the table, including but not limited to the sounds of crickets chirping on one track and water dripping on another. Those along with beautiful harmonies and all sorts of musical exploration make Gather, Form, & Fly less a vehicle for a few songs and more a coherent (dare I say it) masterpiece. As with all of the best albums, the work should be experienced as a whole rather than as individual parts with an assigned track listing. Christy Smith of the Tender Fruit makes a guest appearance on “The Longest Day,” where her words ring true with respect to DeYarmond Edison’s split: “Cause I ain’t never seen a night that didn’t have a dawn.” The dawn has come for Megafaun, and what a bright dawn it is.

88.1 WKNC DJ Pick of the Week is published in every Tuesday print edition of the Technician, as well as online at technicianonline.com and wknc.org.

Megafaun reviewed in Rolling Stone

As if Facebook and Twitter status updates aren't enough for most people, you can also update your Gmail status so people can know when you are eating lunch with your favorite Americana, Blues and Co. host or if you are working and don't wish to be disturbed. About a month ago, our illustrious general manager announced "New Megafaun=AMAZING" to anyone he has ever emailed. It's good to know he was right.

New Raleigh reports Durham-based Megafaun's new release, "Gather, Form and Fly," earned a four-star review in Rolling Stone magazine. A live album from Jimi Hendrix Experience only had three and a half stars.

Concert Giveaways This Week (March 9th- 14th)

Here's what we got for your listening entertainment this week. Tune in for your chances to win!

***Modest Mouse with Mimicking Birds playing @ Disco Rodeo Wednesday March 11th***

Check out our blog for more info on this great show!

Vetiver with Sian Alice Group & Megafaun playing @ Cats Cradle Thursday March 12th

American Aquarium with Bain Mattox and Shot From Guns, & Cary Ann Hearst playing @ Lincoln Theatre Friday March 13th

Zoso (Led Zeppelin Tribute) with Allister Fiend playing @ Lincoln Theatre Saturday March 14th

Lately, All I Want Is Local Music

I haven't had the chance to do much music buying lately, as my bank account's been slightly restricting as of late. However, my birthday is this coming weekend (Valentine's day, a blessing and a curse) and I'm using that as an excuse to head over to Schoolkids and buy me some new jams. What kind of jams? Well, there's only three non-local records that are on my list right now (new ones from Animal Collective, Antony & The Johnsons, and Bon Iver). There are several local records, however, that I really want. First off, there's Hymns For A Dark Horse and Bury The Square, the debut records by Bowerbirds and Megafaun, respectively (Megafaun have a new one on the way and if the new songs they played the Cat's Cradle show I caught recently are any indication, this one will be just as great as the first). I'm headed up to Boone this coming weekend and both bands' take on folk (Bowerbirds' being dark and haunting, Megafaun abstract and rambling, both reflective) would serve as an excellent soundtrack to a weekend driving around the mountains. Then there's the new debut from The Love Language, with their excellent lo-fi take on 50's pop. Lonnie Walker, with their rambling folk rock, are quickly becoming one of my favorite bands, and I'm holding my breath waiting for the release of their debut record, as well as the new one Schooner is working on.

One of my favorite releases of the past decade was Hotel Lights' self-titled debut, full of melancholy and beautiful folk-pop gems. I've spun their new one, Firecracker People, on my show a few times, but have yet to pick the record up This must change, as everything I have heard off the record has been excellent. I've managed to catch EAR PWR's dance party live show three times within the past couple months, and am dying to pick up some of their records. Same goes for Greenville ex-pats Future Islands (who also have some great new songs). There are great new records from David Karsten Daniels and Gray Young.

My record collection is calling out for the wonderful, Cat Power-like musings of Alina Simone. New ones from I Was Totally Destroying It and The ExMonkeys are on their way. The fact of the matter is, out of all the new records coming out, for the most part, the best ones seem to be coming either from acts right here in North Carolina or NC ex-pats. And that's saying something. Time to go buy me some records

Recap: Rosebuds, Megafaun and Love Language at Cat's Cradle

Saturday night at Cat's Cradle was perfect. I trudged through last week, snow and school and all, and what was really getting me through was knowing that on Saturday, I'd get to see The Rosebuds and just dance it out.

Every time I see The Rosebuds, it reaffirms my theory that Kelly and Ivan are actually the coolest people on earth.  It's so obvious that they give it their all, and that's why as a result their shows are always really fun. Saturday was no exception. I won't go into great detail about their set, because if you weren't their it will just make you feel jealous and bummed out, but rest assured, they put on an excellent show, complete with pink Christmas lights and a very confused little dog who appeared on stage during the encore.

The Rosebuds, photo by Mike Alston

The Rosebuds were great, but they're always great. What made Saturday night so especially awesome was that it was a great show from start to finish.

Lately I've been really loving  The Love Language, who started off the night. They are all so energetic and cute, I saw them at the Local 506 back in December and had been looking forward to seeing them again ever since.  Even though they apologized several times for having colds, they did not disappoint. If they hadn't mentioned it, I don't think I would've suspected that they were not feeling up to their A-game. I highly recommend checking out their MySpace, because every last one of their songs is spectacular.

Oh, and Megafaun. They're from your backyard. These guys seriously rule. Much like The Rosebuds, they were very in touch with the crowd. I like feeling like a show is interactive, so I give them points for initiating an elaborate singalong during which they divided the crowd into three sections with three different singing parts. Bonus points also for burning incense during their set, and for their very long, very manly beards.

Bradley Cook of Megafaun, photo by Mike Alston

Long story short, Saturday night at Cat's Cradle was totally awesome. There is such a wealth of local music in the Triangle, and I think that's something that we're all really lucky to be a part of. This music comes from your neighbors, you know? Whenever I'm listening to these bands and thinking about how much they rule, that's what really blows my mind about it all. This music comes from my neighbors.