Cat's Cradle hx
Thomas Beckett
>others were my first Cradle show, 206 W. Franklin, 1992
>
>izzat what people mean by "old cradle?"
Actually, there are several "old Cradles". The Cat's
Cradle opened in the basement of some building on West
Franklin behind where Breadmen's used to be. It's next
location was off Rosemary where the Skylight Exchange is
now. That room was divided -- roughly a third of the space
enclosed the bar, on the same end that the bar is at now.
The other 2/3 was performance space, with wooden pews for
folks to sit on. This place later became the Rhythm Alley,
which was also a cool club owned by a married couple, named
Patterson. I think they're in Charlotte now.
Cradle #3 was at 206 W. Franklin, a long
narrow acoustic nightmare of a room. This is where Frank
entered the picture. Cradles 1-3 had been run and mostly
owned by Dave Robert, raconteur and real estate tycoon.
Eventually he got tired of it or something and sold out to
Frank and a sack o' excrement excuse for a human being named
Richard Fox. Fox was a wheeler dealer who, to his credit,
arranged for a number of really great shows -- Golden
Palominos springs to mind. Actually, that show DOMINATES
my mind as one of the most awesome performances I have ever
seen, and from the edge of the stage, at that.
Fox also had a cool mobile recording
studio in a truck, which he parked out back and occasionally
recorded live shows. And tried to put the moves on women
in, too, I've heard. Unfortunately, Fox's schemes seldom
paid off, and he ran up enormous debts and ultimately lost
the truck to the repo man, and skipped out. This left the
place mostly to Frank.
In the meantime, the lawfirm which rented the offices
upstairs bought the building and decided they didn't like the
soundchecks and the clientele and gave notice to quit. After
some hiatus, and some help from local politicoes, Cradle #4
opened up in the old Belk building, where some stupid chicken
wing bar is located now. Over time, Frank & his pals fine-tuned
that space into a really great club.
But those owners eventually decided that they could make a
profit from the building after all. (Am I the only one to find
irony in the name of the developers' business: "West Franklin
*Preservation* Partners"?) Frank was again on the streets.
Now we find ourselves in the strip mall in Carrboro. This, in
my opinion, is the greatest incarnation of the Cat's Cradle
ever. The space is big enough, the stage is big enough, the
ceiling is high, the acoustics are acceptable for once, and it
just has a good feel. I really love it. In fact, I think (and
have said so before) that the current Cat's Cradle is the best
music club I have ever been in, anywhere. And I've been in a
bunch.
If anybody has any addenda or corrections to this informal
history, I'd love to see it.
Maybe a better-written and more concise synopsis could go
in the FAQ. Perhaps shorter descriptions of the other less
venerable venues in the area, too.
Tom Beckett
P.S. I'm glad I am not the only one on this ng to own (and
maintain a fondness for) Mondo Montage.
P.P.S. I also recall that Dave Robert owned Moonlight Records,
which was probably this area's first indy label.
P.P.P.S. I thought Rob Ladd was also drumming for the Red Clay
Ramblers, another local "alternative" band from this area.
Welbon, Chris
[cut]
> Cradle #3 was at 206 W. Franklin, a long
>narrow acoustic nightmare of a room. This is where Frank
I'm very confused.....
>Cradle #4
>opened up in the old Belk building, where some stupid chicken
>wing bar is located now. Over time, Frank & his pals fine-tuned
..I thought THIS is/was 206 W. Franklin. Across from Univ Square? Now
it's pink? Chicken wings, right? Closed in May of 93.
Swirling and twirling,
Fandango
--
_________________________________________________________________________
<welbon...@mhs.unc.edu> The man who strikes first admits
<ctwe...@isisa.oit.unc.edu> that his ideas have given out.
- Chinese proverb
Robert W. Northcott
Thomas Beckett <ch-s...@gibbs.oit.unc.edu> wrote:
> Cradle #3 was at 206 W. Franklin, a long
>narrow acoustic nightmare of a room. This is where Frank
>entered the picture. Cradles 1-3 had been run and mostly
>owned by Dave Robert, raconteur and real estate tycoon.
>Eventually he got tired of it or something and sold out to
When this Franklin St. location first opened the stage was not where it
ultimately ended up - it was on the long side of the room (the right side
when you came in the door). The band I was in at the time was the "first"
band to "play" there (this was in actuality a party whose prupose was to
test out the sound system, acoustics, etc. if I remember correctly) and it
was like that for a while before it became unbearable. I remember seeing
the fabulous Morells ("Shake and Push") there when the state was still on
the long side. It wasn't like that for very long.
My memory of DR's getting out of the Cradle business revolved around his
being told by the taxman that he had to pay taxes on the door receipts,
unbeknownst to him, and that it was retroactive for x years. He got
pissed and said fuck this.
>P.S. I'm glad I am not the only one on this ng to own (and
>maintain a fondness for) Mondo Montage.
I think it's really held up well. Also try More Mondo and Tobacco a Go
Go.
>P.P.S. I also recall that Dave Robert owned Moonlight Records,
>which was probably this area's first indy label.
The first Mike Cross stuff was on Moonlight, the early 80's EP series,
some Arrogance, Chris Frank, the Holla Band, and a few others I can't
remember. I don't know if Moonlight predates the Charlie Mann stuff
though; my memory is a bit sketchy on those, although I have a "Tribute to
David Bowie" LP from around 76-77, and I used to have a porno LP of music
and sex noises that CM put out I think.
David B. Thomas
>>P.S. I'm glad I am not the only one on this ng to own (and
>>maintain a fondness for) Mondo Montage.
>
>I think it's really held up well. Also try More Mondo and Tobacco a Go
>Go.
Buddha" on XYC this morning, and was reminded afresh how utterly cool
that song was when it came out.
I don't know who the jock was, but are you out there? Did alt.music.chapel-
hill influence your programming? Can I expect more of these eerie
art-imitates-life-imitating-art/life sort of experiences?
Dave
for god's sake, nobody talk about Barry Manilow or Journey