when you stop being startled by rock stars

I will get to the point made in the subject line eventually. Last summer the Cat’s Cradle, the Triangle’s oldest and most venerable rock club, replaced their entire ancient light rig with a gorgeous, well-balanced pro rig. It was done for MergeXX, as were quite a few other venue upgrades, and if local gossip told…

mason jennings — the flood

Mason Jennings — The Flood. Out now digitally, 11/23 hard copy on Brushfire Records. This is not the post I planned to write today. This, instead: me at 19, with the poodle passing as my hair grown most of the way down my back, instead of short and shaggy like I keep it now. (Sometimes…

the belleville outfit @ berkeley cafe

Sometimes genre is useful in describing music; an easy way to convey to another person that they will, or won’t, like a band. Sometimes it’s easy because you can say, “They’re a rock band,” or “They’re a traditional bluegrass band.” And sometimes, as with Austin, TX’s the Belleville Outfit, you get stuck. You say to…

adam warrock @ chapel hill comics

My life was genuinely missing more rap shows in comic book stores. True story. Euge is a super excellent human being and his new album is absolutely fantastic. You should go look at his website.

the static minds @ kings

About halfway through the Static Minds’ set last night, I turned to t. and said, “All frontmen should come with hips and hair like Erik’s. It should be a requirement.” I know a lot of really great lead singers, lead guitarists, and Erik Sugg is among the best I’ve seen in the Triangle in forever….

triple double

“I tell guys in the (coaches) clinic all the time, one of the reasons I like to play as fast as we do is because coaches always have negative thoughts. If we’re going up and down the court so blasted fast I don’t have time to have negative thoughts.” — Roy Williams, circa 2008 or…

get it right

Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard. — Caterina Fake

the static minds — electricty

The Static Minds — Electricity. Out officially 11/12 on Custom Made Music, stream it here in advance. I know nothing about punk. Or hardcore. Or post-punk. Or, really, ’60s and ’70s heavy rock and roll outside of what gets played on 96Rock in the mornings. At all. I mean, for Christ’s sake, I’m reading Please Kill…

punch brothers @ cat’s cradle

I saw Nickel Creek just once, at the Vic in Chicago, almost — God — 8 years ago. I genuinely have no idea why I decided I wanted to see them back then, because while I always enjoyed them, I was never what you would call a huge fan; I suspect it was because it…