Cat's Cradle (venue)

Cat's Cradle is a music venue and nightclub located in Carrboro, North Carolina, less than a mile from the University of North Carolina campus. It has two floors with a capacity of 750 people.[1][2] In the early 1990s, it contributed to the Chapel Hill region being called the "Next Seattle" by the music press, given that the club hosted upcoming regional and national alternative and grunge acts such as Nirvana (who last performed there just 10 days after the release of Nevermind), Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth,[2] The Smashing Pumpkins,[3] and Ween (who documented their December 9, 1992, performance with At the Cat's Cradle, 1992).[4] In later years, the venue also saw performances by John Mayer, Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth and Joan Baez.[5][6] In August 2009, The Cosmopolitans played their reunion concert at Cat's Cradle following a 27-year hiatus.[7]

Cat's Cradle
Brave Combo performing at Cat's Cradle
Address300 E Main St.
LocationCarrboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Coordinates35.910094813°N 79.068879907°W / 35.910094813; -79.068879907
Capacity750
Opened1969
Website
catscradle.com
Citizen Cope performing at Cat's Cradle

History

The original Cat's Cradle was opened in 1969 by Marcia Wilson and two partners, Mike Cross and Larry Reynolds.[8] Located in a basement about a half mile from the current location, the original venue was significantly smaller, with a capacity of around two dozen people. The club relocated and changed ownership several times, and went bankrupt in 1983 due to unpaid taxes.[2] In 1987 the club was sold to the current owner, Frank Heath. After a six month hiatus in 1993, Cat's Cradle moved to its current location on Main Street. In recent years, an additional yet smaller club next door called Cat’s Cradle Back Room was opened.[2]

In 2020, the club nearly closed its doors permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To cover financial losses, an exclusive album of studio cover songs called Cover Charge was created that featured North Carolina-based artists such as Superchunk, Iron & Wine, The Mountain Goats, Sarah Shook and The Connells.[9] The venue has since reopened.

Live albums

Notable live albums documenting shows at Cat's Cradle include:

References
  1. Bernstein, Jonathan (February 12, 2020). "How Raleigh, North Carolina Became a Hotbed of Independent Music". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  2. "Hip History: Cat's Cradle Is Still Rocking After 50 Years". www.ncarts.org. January 24, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  3. "spfc.org : tour history - dates : 1991-08-06". www.spfc.org. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Ween - At the Cat's Cradle, 1992". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  5. WTVD (December 26, 2019). "Cats Cradle celebrating 50th anniversary with six nights of shows". ABC 11. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  6. Lukpat, Alyssa (July 31, 2020). "A who's who of North Carolina musicians record new music to help save the Cat's Cradle". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  7. "The Cosmopolitans to play first show since 1982!". Dionysus Records. July 6, 2009. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  8. Gerard, Philip (July 27, 2021). "The 1970s: Cradle of Music". Our State. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  9. "NC Artists Cover Favorite Songs to Save Local Venue". Spin. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  10. Mason, Stewart "Dillon Fence Biography", AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2018
  11. LeVasseur, Andrea. "Gillian Welch: The Revelator Collection (2002)". AllMovie. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  12. "Clambakes Vol. 3: When We Were 10 - Live at Cat's Cradle 1999, by Superchunk". Superchunk. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  13. Danzig, Ian. "Ween At The Cat's Cradle, 1992". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
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