Stereolab at Cat's Cradle
Taking a break from obsessing over TV On The Radio's new album Dear Science, we caught Stereolab last night at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. The last time I caught them was in Chicago during their 1999 tour for Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage In the Milky Night. I seriously don't remember them rocking as hard as they did last night. For a band known for their atmospheric, "space-age bachelor pad" sound, they can really pound out the songs on stage. Most of the songs they played were new (I have yet to get their new album Chemical Chords, although I may be purchasing it today), but they performed plenty of classics, including the final song in which Bradford Cox of Atlas Sound joined in. Well worth the 35 minute drive from Raleigh, although it really does take an amazing band like Stereolab to get me out to a 9pm weekday show. The last show we saw was Iron & Wine at The Moon in Tallahassee, and this is our first time in Cat's Cradle since moving here 6 months ago. It was definitely a much smaller venue than, say, The Moon, but that just added to it's intimacy and powerful acoustics. I mean, how can you not love a venue with an old-school arcade (although they need to get Double Dragon working again - please get on that pronto).
Here are photos from Stereolab's Athens show on Saturday. Just pretend Laetitia is wearing a purple dress and there's not a sign for 40 Watt Club in the background.