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Cat's Cradle
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
27 reviews for Cat's Cradle
Cat's Cradle is an awesome venue for shows. I have been to a couple shows there and always have a blast. The crowd is laid back and easy going and ready to have a good time.
The bar is cash only which can be a problem because I never carry cash. :(
But other than that, it's awesome!
I kind of want to cry into a $2 Tecate thinking back at all the time I've spent here and the associated memories. Even if I didn't see this place through such nostalgic eyes, I'd still really like it - it's just a great venue.
It's a fantastic place to see music because it's decently sized but it's still a pretty intimate setting where you can get right up to the stage near the action. But if you're not looking to have a sweaty, gropey time, you can hang back in the seating area and chill or go into the back room and play some pool. The bar in the back is pretty bare bones, I don't think I ever got anything here that wasn't beer or water. But the bartenders are super quick so you can get some liquid energy and get right back to awkward dancing.
They book a pretty good variety of acts, it's mostly US indie rock (dur, we're in a college town!) but I've also seen UK grime, electronica, hip hop, alt-country, cover bands, NME darlings, comedians, and film events here as well. Oh, can't forget the 80's dances!
Cornerstone of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro experience. Keep on rockin' that Cradle of love.
I love the Cat's Cradle now that it's non-smoking. I hardly ever get to any shows here, cuz it's far away from me, but I would choose it over any other venue in CH.
It's got great sound, and is actually fairly comfortable: there are sitting bars against the wall, and even a few little bench thingies.
The bar in the back is a great place to hang out if you need a minute away from the music, which brings up the one serious downside of this place: they have a tendency to turn up the sound to mind-destroying levels. I'm all for loudness, and rocking out like you mean it... but it's just not fun when the music is causing you physical pain.
What can I say? The Cradle is the stuff of Triangle legend. Everybody who's ever been anybody has played at the Cradle, and if you're a live music fan, you get funny looks if you say you've never been. I've seen shows at a lot of venues and the Cradle remains one of my favorites.
To me, a good live venue should be small, slightly run-down and eclectic, and CC accomplishes all three eloquently. Honestly, how many venerable music venues do you know that share a wall with a video store?
I've seen quite a few shows, mostly local bands but a few national acts. I think my favorite show there was Guster (quite) a few years back. The bongoes had an echo that just sounded awesome no matter where you were (even in the bathroom!).
The Cradle is one of those places that every Triangle resident just HAS go visit. Even if you're not a big indie music fan, keep an eye on the schedule and pick out a show. Then, go to the show, and love it!
In my imaginary world, the Cat's Cradle is within walking distance of my house, and all my favorite bands are playing there. As a northerner, I've only been here a handful of times, but every single one of 'em has been awesome. Top-notch booking, great sound system and I just love the fact that it's in a strip mall.
I'm really happy the club went non-smoking a few years ago; I remember what it was like to stand at a packed CC show on a sweltering, smoky summer night and it was the furthest thing from pleasant.
The Cradle has taken on a few different looks since I was a sketched out sixteen-year-old heading to the back door (like you had to do in the day) to get into a smoky music hall with some oddly-placed furniture. Throughout that time, though, it has (for good or ill) constantly been THE spot for music in the Triangle.
These days the Cradle is smoke free, you can go in the front door, and the layout includes a few spots where sitting and watching the show is even a good idea.
Sure, not everything is better. The classic arcade games have been pushed back into a little cave and the ticket prices have jumped while the men's room still boasts a trough-style urinal, for example. It's hard to argue with the granddaddy of them all for music in the Triangle, though. At least they still have the mummy on the wall.
The Cat's Cradle is the only true live music venue around Chapel Hill. Other places are just bars or clubs or barbershops or whatever that happen to have a live band playing at any given time. The Cradle, however, does solely live music. They draw some pretty decent names, too, from all across the indy and semi-indy music scene. They tell me that it's viewed as one of the necessary spots that a band has to play on their way to the top, and based on the kind of people I see here, I'm inclined to agree. Most of it is standing room, but there are a few seats and even tables on the upper level towards the back, and the bar is in a quasi-separate room. There's also a kind of patio area outside were you can chill out and smoke if you need to.
That's the good news. The bad news: The parking is crap. You will need to walk here almost certainly, and if you park just outside, you will get into a fender-bender. The beer is expensive. The acoustics are absolutely terrible. Shows start about an hour after they're scheduled to and the time between sets is interminable.
That being said, they do have good music performing regularly. It's really the only game in town for that.
No-smoking rocks my world, and I have to admire the place for that. I'm also impressed by their continued ability to bring us good line-ups month after month. One of my more memorable concerts here, was Sum 41 and Good Charlotte before they went MTV. I got dragged to it by a boyfriend -- who later rushed the stage and launched himself into a crowd to body-surf. Another memorable concert was way more recent and way more mellow. Ingrid Michaelson played here a couple weeks ago and I seriously fell in love with her a bit (sorry, Phil).
You can get beer, not liquor. And you can sit or stand. The acoustics here suck, but it does make for a cozier, more intimate kind of concert experience.
Cat's Cradle is a well known music and performance space for many independent bands from around the country, as well as, well known acts in the music world.
I've gone here to see some great local bands perform, like "The High and Mighties", in which case it's a big deal to perform here-- you're making a name for yourself when you've played at the Cradle on this level.
They've also hosted parties for eighties night which is so much retro legging-- jelly shoe wearing & skin tight stretch jean fun! As you're walking down part of Franklin Street and into Carrboro on Main Street it's as if we've warped back into time. I love eighties music, it evokes feelings of the greatness of life and being on top of the world!
Almost every concert I ever want to go see in the triangle ends up being at the Cat's Cradle. The Cradle is one of the best places around to see smaller bands, with a capacity of around 500 people I think. They have three sections of risers where you can sit/stand above the crowd to see the show as well as a bench that runs along one side of the venue.
My biggest complaint about the place is he same as I have with the Lincoln, the necessity to put the merch table right at the exit to the point that the line blocks the exit after a show. Obnoxious, but I guess that's the idea so people with buy stuff.
Ticket prices are usually in the $10-$15 range, the crowd is typically pretty cool, and they get some reasonably large acts.
Even if there was anything bad to say about the Cat's Cradle, you wouldn't want to say it. It was my introduction to more experimental and indie-centric music all those years ago, and I find myself there at least once every month despite living an hour away. The sound system has gotten visibly better in recent years, probably in conjunction with the new live sound engineers they have been bringing in. A cool selection of beers and delicious Dr. Browns sodas at the bar (try the black cherry, it has actual cherry skin floating around in there!) A big tv and couches for people that are into paying to see live music and sitting in the back. And lots of seating area around the sides of the stage (you'd best get there when the doors open to lock one down!) Though, you can always find me standing somewhere up near the front, leaning on a support pillar. Because those opening bands need applause too, folks!
Cat's Cradle has been the premier NC music venue ever since Sonic Youth name-checked it on their 1991 song "Chapel Hill". No other club in the area has the same combination of good sound, an excellent view of the stage from anywhere in the venue and reasonable bar prices that make this club unsurpassed in the area.
I've probably seen several dozen shows here dating back to about 12 years ago, and I've only had cause for complaint when they erect barricades (this seems to be only at certain hardcore and metal shows). Most of the time this isn't a problem as only about 5% of shows have these barricades in place.
That being said, if you've never seen your favorite band play at the Cradle and you have a chance, seize it. Maybe it's only nostalgia for those long lost days of my youth but to me there's something magical in the air when the place is just packed and someone is kicking out the jams on stage.
Cat's Cradle chose to be a NON-SMOKING venue. Based solely on the fact, they deserve FIVE stars.
They attract a great number of acts and pack the house. I have fun every time I go (people watching in Carrboro is SO much fun).
I have mixed feelings about this place.
I don't think the sound is very good. Granted, I am the farthest thing from a musician or sound engineer, but I've seen my favorite band (Nada Surf) enough times to know that they sounded different here.
Also, the tweenies can get really annoying sometimes. Yeah, I agree with another review that I'd probably really appreciate the lack of age restriction if *I* was 14. But...for all of you youngsters reading this, please don't stand behind me screaming OVER and OVER the name of the one and only song that you've heard played on the radio. Thanks. (It is for this reason that I can not give this place 5 stars.)
Then there's the good parts. Non smoking venues are always a plus. The bartenders were pretty cool...I had no idea what I wanted to drink and they were very patient with me. I was actually pretty excited about the amount of seating...when you're not a spring chicken it is nice to take a load off between sets sometimes.
The show that I went to last night was pretty good, and I can't help but think that the actual club had something to do with that. It was Halloween, so there was a costume contest with prizes awarded to the best rock and roll themed costumes. And, for some reason, they decided to have five songs of karaoke in the middle of the main band. I thought it was going to be lame, but it was kind of fun to see regular old people up there with the band. And, the band played a full set regardless of the five song break that they took. Pretty cool!
Non Smoking = Awesome (AGREED) As another local entertainment business owner I have to admit that the Cat's Cradle has been a role model for me for a long time. I can't wait for the day that DSI becomes the Cat's Cradle of Comedy, attracting groups from all over the country that want to play a set in North Carolina.
I have seen so much music here. Its great that people can be all like "YO! I WANT TO SEE LIVE MUSIC" and there are times when people can see a completely different genre of music every single night of the week. Can the bathrooms at a concert venue ever be awesome? If so, that's an area all local venues could investigate.
A really fun venue. The bartenders are terrific - seriously. There's a lot of history and a lot of heart in there. Unfortunately, the sound is pretty crappy. However, it's the best (only?) place in town to see bands that draw more than 50 fans.
Oh, the only other qualm I have is that ALL shows are ALL ages. I feel weird relaxing, listening to punk, and having a beer with 12 year olds running around, sorry. But I guess if I were still a teen, I'd think this place was even better.
I am very lucky that I was able to attend some of the amazing shows and film screenings that came through the Cradle while I was in college. Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, multiple Superchunk shows, the El Vez Holiday Show, Hi Mom Film Festival, Flicker, etc.
I only wish it had been non-smoking back then.
It's been about a year since I last saw a show at Cat's Cradle, due mostly to a lack of properly coordinated plans. It's a famously great live venue for a reason. Usually the way it works for me is that shortly after I discover a new band, I find out that they're playing here. It works out too well to be healthy for my bank account. Fortunately, I think most shows are priced well. Cat's Cradle is non-smoking now, which is for the best because it was pretty hazy before. There is a small patio in the back for smokers. As with any popular event, it's important to get there early because that big parking lot fills up fast, and of course everyone has a favorite spot to claim inside.
The staff is knowledgeable and seem to be having as much fun as the crowd. I do have a unique experience in that I produced a show at this venue and can say that the staff is appropriately interested in the producers having an easy go of it as well as the crowd having a good time.
The smoking section in back is not hawked by security, wink wink, and the shows here are top notch, not just for Carrboro, but for the entire Southeast.
Frank, the owner, is a mecca of cool, calm and collected.
Cat's Cradle caters to more of an Indie music crowd than a pop/punk crowd, so the type of music doesn't really cater to my tastes. The venue itself is pretty large, and doesn't get too crazy during shows. They only serve beer and wine, so if you're looking to drink, do so beforehand. The stage is hard to see, especially if you're shorter, so squeeze to the front if you're under 5'9 or so!
What can I say about Cat's Cradle? This is *the* venue to catch bands both big and small (and Vanilla Ice, once in the late '90s) in Chapel Hill/Carrboro - I can't count the times I came here in college...and high school, for that matter. The space isn't much more than one large room (and a bar in a separate room in the back) with a few elevated areas with some benches, should you be one of the few to sit down during a show. This means there's really no bad vantage point. Since I graduated they've banned smoking, which makes it even more enticing to me these days.
Best place in the area for live music. I have been coming here since I was a wee teen to catch shows that would otherwise not happen in NC. I get excited every time I walk by. The schedule always has some great stuff to offer, and with a great deal of variety. Also, the beer is pretty cheap, $5 Fosters? Yes please!
I am not an indie kid.
By that, I mean I buy disproportionate amounts of independent music, but I'd like to think I'm not a stuck-up, snobbish, hipstery, walking stereotype.
So all this means I don't go to the Cat's Cradle as much as I'd like to. I love the atmosphere - it's non-smoking, good-sized but still intimate-seeming, and there are places to sit - but I only ever want to see about one show a year here. Sigh.
It's in Carrboro and the bus line that goes there doesn't come all that often, so you may end up walking for a while in semi-to-quite sketchy places. The music's usually worth it though. When I go.
I would have gone insane during graduate school if it were not for the fact that Cat's Cradle had great shows and cheap beer within walking distance. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many great acts at reasonable prices I saw. Don't miss Flicker Film nights either for Super 8 fun.
I don't think I could live in Chapel Hill/Carrboro area if it wasn't for Cat's Cradle. Nice staff, non-smoking venue and they bring in great bands. Seriously I don't think I'd make it here if this place didn't exist.
Amazing place to see great bands in a small venue. It is basically a dark room with a bar in the back, stage up front, and some seating on the side. Yes it does sound uninspiring. However, once a band gets on stage the lights come on, it is mesmerizing! For years it has been one of those little stops on the concert scene that gets great bands. Each time I've been there the crowd gets into the music and it becomes this great group of fans who are there to just have a good time. Would highly recommend it!
oh the nostalgia! makes me want to drink a pbr.
