Friday, August 26, 2011
Update (Aug. 29, 2011): The free, all-ages show celebrating the completion of the renovations will be Thursday, Sept. 1, with The Old Ceremony and The Tomahawks. Doors are at 8 p.m.; show begins at 9. RSVP at the Facebook Event.
Anyone who has walked down Main Street in Carrboro in the last month has likely noticed a hubbub of activity at Cat's Cradle. Dumpsters of construction refuse, new sidewalks and a small horde of hired hands have inundated the institutional Triangle rock club in the past few weeks. This week, co-owner Frank Heath confirmed that the Cradle is indeed undergoing major renovations.
Improvements will include a new side door which will serve as the club's main entrance, a new stage, and an expansion of the club's main room. The risers that ringed the space have been torn out, as have the wall and hallway that separated the bar and bathroom area from the concert hall. The ceiling is being removed to add sprinklers, a safety feature the club previously lacked. Also planned are improvements to the club's green room area and restructuring to remove two poles that blocked key sight lines. It's likely the changes will increase the venue's capacity, which currently sits at about 600, but Heath said it was too early in the process to set a number.
Jill Scott with Anthony Hamilton, Mint Condition, DJ Jazzy Jeff & Doug E. Fresh
Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, Raleigh
Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011
Kids, when you get older, you'll find that your body won't be as strong and sturdy as it is now. Your knees might get a bit sore when you stand on them a lot. The same thing goes for your feet. Good Lawd, nothing is more painful than standing on your feet for a long period of time.
Apparently, Jill Scott knows this. Since her fan base consists mostly of middle-aged, African-American men and women (or, as we often refer to ourselves, grown-ass people), it appeared she arranged her performance Tuesday night at Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion so that her fans didn't have to stand up all the time. And, for that, we thank her.
As the headliner of a multi-act bill dubbed "Budweiser Superfest Presents Jill Scott's Summer Block Party," Scott performed a nearly 90-minute set that felt more like a lounging get-together than a full-fledged throwdown. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Covered in a spangly, bedazzled periwinkle dress and black leggings, looking like a luscious madam, the voluptuous Scott gave off the vibe of a calm and confident hostess, taking the audience into her bountiful bosom as she belted out tune after tune.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Read Grayson Currin's pre-concert cover story: "Bon Iver's long wager"
Forget cake. The real question is, could you make your Shrinky-Dinks in it??
Great piece, Lisa! …
by Jane Hobson Snyder on The rise and fall of the Easy-Bake Oven (Object of Desire)
I'm a physicist (just like Dr. Hansen) and this article is overloaded with misinformation and biases. It is an advertisement …
by John Droz on Duke professor Orrin Pilkey takes on the deniers in Global Climate Change: A Primer (Reading)