Oh Snap: Cut/Copy returns to new-look Cat’s Cradle

Photos by Nick Pironio
Review by Chris Cowperthwaite

Electronic globetrotters Cut/Copy brought their indie act to Carrboro Tuesday night, playing to a sold out crowd at the newly renovated Cat’s Cradle.

A quick sidenote on the venue changes before I get into the review: huge improvement! This was my first show since last month’s renovations, and I came away impressed.

Concert goers now enter from around the side of the building, as the old entrance is now all back stage area. The main room is wider, the ceiling’s been raised about four feet, the riser that used to partially surround the soundboard is gone, and the arcade area’s been sacrificed in order to knock out a wall to make the room deeper. The overall effect is much more open — and it certainly fits a much larger crowd more comfortably.

If only they had redone the men’s room while they were at it. Unfortunately the infamous metal trough is still there — along with that lovely dripline pipe coated with condensation.

But I digress.

The Cradle was packed for Cut/Copy, who had support from Washed Out and Midnight Magic. I arrived just in time for the start Washed Out, the synthpop brainchild of Atlanta resident Ernest Greene. He was joined by four musicians playing drums, keys, bass (for some of the songs) and a whole lot of electronic knob-turning & button-mashing.

The result was a heavy, driven set that had a core group of fans up front consistently cheering. There was already a big crowd inside, and hardly anyone was hanging out by the back bar, so it was everything you could ask for a lead-in to the main act.

Cut/Copy opened their set with “Take Me Over,” which — intentionally or not — has always had a hint of “Land Down Under”-ish flavor from the Melbourne, Australia residents. From there, it was a tour through their two biggest albums — 2008’s In Ghost Colours and this year’s Zonoscope.

My friend Matt had told me beforehand that Cut/Copy concerts are nonstop dance parties, and he pretty much nailed that description. They followed up the opener with big hitters like “Feel the Love,” “Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat,” “So Haunted” and “Lights & Music.”

Lead singer Dan Whitford was impassioned the entire show — he’s one of those frontmen who looks like he’s having a blast, but gets that point across without smiling much. He constantly clenches his fists or runs his hands through his hair while daring the crowd to match his energy level. By the time the set started winding down with “Hearts on Fire,” Whitford’s shirt was drenched, but he still had the entire crowd jumping in unison during the chorus.

And that’s not to say the rest of the band sits back and watches quietly, either; guitarist Tim Hoey is just as intense — one minute standing on the drum riser smashing a cymbal, the next holding his guitar high above his head, playing it with a bow and slapping the back of the body for effect.

The album version of “Sun God” tops 15 minutes, and the live version ending their set had to have been even longer, not that anyone was complaining. Some of the synthesizer sounds seemed to delve into “Baba O’Riley” territory, and it featured some of the better lighting effects of the night, to boot.

After a short break, the band returned for “Need You Now,” which Whitford introduced as “the soundtrack to our marathon.” It was a fitting end for the night, with the chorus building to a swagger; ironic considering the lyrics.

Next time the Aussies head this way, make sure to circle your calendar, because it’s worth planning ahead for. Oi! Oi! Oi!

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