Cat's Cradle

Cat's Cradle https://linktr.ee/catscradle.nc

NC's legendary independent music venue for 50 years and counting. We accept cash, Visa & Mastercard for advance tickets.

Cat's Cradle is a 750 capacity venue and the Cat's Cradle Back Room is a 200 capacity venue located in downtown Carrboro, NC. We book bands of all genres and have shows most nights of the week. Advance tickets are sold online, over the phone, in club, at Schoolkids Records in Raleigh & Chapel Hill. We serve beer, wine & soft drinks nightly. There are also t-shirts & Cat's Cradle koozies available

at the bar. The bar is CASH ONLY (there is an ATM located inside near the bar.) Cat's Cradle is an all ages venue.

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COVID-19 Policy: As of 9/20/22, Cat’s Cradle and Cat’s Cradle Back Room no longer require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID test for entrance to our venues.* Given the close proximity of patrons in an indoor space for potentially an extended period, we continue to strongly recommend and encourage that all who attend concerts wear a mask and be fully vaccinated. Masks are always available at our entrances and bars for anyone who needs one.

*PLEASE NOTE that in the event that a specific artist requests patrons be vaccinated or wear masks for their concert, we will enforce these requirements. In these cases, any specific show requirements will be clearly stated along with the show details, and in any correspondence we send to ticket holders.

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* For booking inquiries please contact [email protected] *

07/29/2026

Outlaw country ace Wh**ey Morgan makes his Cat's Cradle debut Sept. 20th.

Wh**ey Morgan and the 78's
Sunday, September 20th
Cat's Cradle
7pm Doors / 8pm Show

On Sale: Friday, July 31 at 10AM
TICKETS: https://buff.ly/CxvItmL

With a career rooted in grit, soul, and over 15 years of relentless touring, Wh**ey Morgan has long stood as one of the fiercest torchbearers of outlaw country. Hailing from Flint, Michigan, Morgan has released six acclaimed studio albums, a powerful live record, and earned a reputation as a relentless road warrior—averaging more than 125 shows per year. As Rolling Stone put it, he’s a “Waylon Jennings acolyte... a modern-day outlaw [with a] hard-hitting blue-collar brand of music,” while NPR praised him for staying true to the lineage of legends like Jennings, Merle Haggard, and David Allan Coe.

Since the release of 2018’s Hard Times and White Lines—called his "finest set yet" by American Songwriter—Morgan has only deepened his impact, playing to packed clubs and sold-out theaters across the country. In 2024, he reached a defining milestone with his official debut at the Grand Ole Opry, a moment that signified more than just a career benchmark—it solidified his place in country music’s living legacy.

Wh**ey Morgan’s creative resurgence came full force in early 2025 with the release of three new singles produced by Shooter Jennings. These tracks—gritty, soulful, and unmistakably Morgan—marked a powerful return to the studio. “Let Me Roll,” the lead single, set the tone with its raw heartland sound, followed by two equally compelling releases that proved Morgan’s songwriting is as vital as ever.

Now, Wh**ey Morgan & the 78’s continue to push forward—onstage, in the studio, and on their own terms. With a loyal fanbase built one show at a time, Morgan remains one of country music’s most enduring and authentic voices—an artist for the outsiders, the true believers, and anyone who still finds salvation in a steel guitar and a hard truth.

07/29/2026

One week until Diggy Graves packs out the Main Room. Just a handful of tickets still available at catscradle.com

Diggy Graves – The No Vacancy Tour
Resentvul, Ryan Oakes
Friday, August 7th
Cat’s Cradle
Doors: 7 pm : Show: 7:30 pm

Raised in the PNW, Diggy Graves likes to describe his music as a melting pot of genres that ranges from Rap to Horror Core. Diggy has been making music for most of his life and decided to create his persona behind the mask in 2020. You might know him from his most popular songs Red Vineyard and Circus Psycho. You can usually find him hidden in the woods making music in his cabin but in his free-time he enjoys long walks on the beach, hanging out with his son and digging graves. He always looks forward to performing live and seeing all his loyal fans.

07/29/2026

Charlie Parr returns to Cat's Cradle for his Main Room debut!

Charlie Parr
Thursday, November 12th
Cat's Cradle
7pm Doors / 8pm Show

ON-SALE: Friday, July 31st at 10am
TICKETS: https://buff.ly/KWQ48OY

In the music of Charlie Parr, there is a sincere conviction and earnest drive to create. The Minnesota-born guitarist, songwriter, and interpreter of traditional music has released 19 albums over two decades and has been known to perform up to 275 shows a year. Parr is a folk troubadour in the truest sense: taking to the road between shows, writing and rewriting songs as he plays, fueled by a belief that music is eternal and cannot be claimed or adequately explained. The bluesman poet pulls closely from the sights and sounds around him, his lyrical craftsmanship built by his influences. The sounds from his working-class upbringing—including Folkways legends such as Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie—imbue Parr’s music with stylistic echoes of blues and folk icons of decades past. Parr sees himself merely as a continuer of a folk tradition: “I feel like I stand on a lot of big shoulders,” he said in an interview. “I hope that I’ve brought a little bit of myself to the music.”

With a discography simultaneously transcendental in nature and grounded in roots music, Charlie Parr is the humble master of the 21st century folk tradition. Parr started recording in Duluth in 2002, where he lives today. Life in the port town on Lake Superior has a way of bleeding into his work the same way his childhood in Austin, Minnesota does. Parr self-released his debut album, Criminals and Sinners, and did the same for his sophomore album 1922 (2002). With growing popularity abroad, Parr signed with Red House Records in 2015, where he recorded break-out albums Stumpjumper (2015) and Dog (2017). Parr’s music has an overwhelming sense of being present and mindful, and his sound is timeless.

Parr’s mastery of his craft is only more apparent when contextualized within the history of folk tradition of which Parr has dedicated his practice The land and lives around and intersecting with Parr have always influenced him, from the hills and valleys of Hollandale, Minnesota to the Depression-era stories from his father. Parr strives to listen to everything: “I don’t see that I’d ever be capable of creating anything if it weren’t for these inspirations and influences, books and music as well as the weather and random interactions with strangers and animals. So, the well never runs dry as long as my eyes and ears are open,” Parr said in a 2020 interview. Before he was even 10 years old Parr was rummaging through his father’s record collection—sometimes drawing dinosaurs on the vinyl sleeves—and listening to country, folk, and blues legends, many of whom are staples in the Folkways catalog. When Parr sings and plays his resonator or 12-string, you can hear influences like Mance Lipscomb, Charley Patton, Spinder John Koerner, Rev. Gary Davis, and Dock Boggs. This is especially true in his playing, when, after a diagnosis of focal dystonia, Parr turned to greats like Davis, Doc Watson, and Booker White for two-finger picking inspiration. Gifted a 1965 Gibson B-45 12-string by his father, Parr has never had a formal lesson and learned by to listening records and watching musicians he admired.

07/29/2026

All the way from Australia to the Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Rum Jungle comes through on Sept 8th with support from Durham's own Bee Million!

Rum Jungle
w/ Bee Million
Tuesday, September 8th
Cat’s Cradle Back Room
Doors: 7 pm : Show: 8 pm

TICKETS: https://buff.ly/LG8pAEa

07/29/2026

TONIGHT (WED 7/29)
Eleni Mandell and Dawn Landes
Doors: 7 pm : Show: 8 pm
Cat’s Cradle Back Room
GET TICKETS at LINK IN BIO^ + https://buff.ly/OgW4Vgemandell.1

Eleni Mandell is a Los Angeles–based singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose quietly influential career spans more than three decades. With over ten acclaimed solo albums, Mandell has carved out a singular lane blending folk, noir jazz, roots rock, and literate pop — music defined by emotional precision, dry wit, and an unmistakable sense of place.

A true Los Angeles institution, Mandell is widely regarded as a songwriter’s songwriter and a cornerstone of the city’s independent music community. Her work has been praised by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and NPR, with critics consistently highlighting her sharp lyrical intelligence, understated authority, and timeless, lived-in voice.

Mandell is also a founding member of The Living Sisters (with Becky Stark and Inara George), the beloved harmony-driven trio whose releases on New West Records reflect a deep reverence for classic songwriting and communal music-making. The Living Sisters appear on Mandell’s forthcoming album, further reinforcing the collaborative spirit that has long defined her work.

On May 29, 2026, Eleni Mandell released a new solo album, Tailspin, via School Kids Records — a label celebrated for championing enduring, artist-first careers and thoughtfully curated releases. Tailspin finds Mandell expanding her expressive range while staying rooted in the lyrical clarity and emotional depth that have made her catalog so enduring.

Dawn Landes is a Chapel Hill, NC based singer-songwriter who’s penned original songs for TV, film, and musical theater (ROW on Audible). Landes has toured internationally and supported Nick Lowe, Mary Chapin Carpenter and many more. She was a touring member of Sufjan Stevens band and the orchestral folk ensemble Hem. Her newest album The Liberated Woman’s Songbook was produced by Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman) and highlights women’s activism throughout history.

07/28/2026

at Cat's Cradle JULY 29 – AUG 13 // ALL TICKETS @ ^

WED 7.29 &
BACK ROOM

FRI 7.31 &
BACK ROOM

SAT 8.1 & w/ K Sera
CAT’S CRADLE

SAT 8.1 .rattletraps Album Release Party w/ , Beeper
BACK ROOM

MON 8.3 w/ , bullseye
BACK ROOM

FRI 8.7 w/ ,
CAT’S CRADLE

FRI 8.7 w/ , .night
BACK ROOM

SUN 8.9 Night Market (5–10pm! FREE!)
CAT’S CRADLE

TUE 8.11 *SOLD OUT* w/ Closebye
BACK ROOM

THU 8.13 w/
BACK ROOM

07/28/2026

The excellent Philadelphia-based singer songwriter was just featured on by

Catch him this Friday night at Back Room with

Greg Mendez
w/ Maria BC
Friday, July 31st
Cat’s Cradle Back Room
Doors: 7 pm : Show: 8 pm

TICKETS: https://buff.ly/iY3mKxj

Greg Mendez has always been an economical songwriter – he wields restraint and simplicity as tools, the core of his songs sharpened into simple, cutting truths. On Beauty Land, his new album and debut LP for Dead Oceans, we’re guided by a wry but forgiving narrator, an underdog who has learned to balance cynicism and faith. These songs are self-effacing without self-pity, carefully constructed altars of imperfection channeled through pop melodies, shimmering but urgent guitars, and a voice that reaches for choir boy innocence.

NC's own Leah Moore comes to Back Room to celebrate her new EP which was recorded right here in Carrboro with a star-st...
07/28/2026

NC's own Leah Moore comes to Back Room to celebrate her new EP which was recorded right here in Carrboro with a star-studded cast of local talent. Tickets on sale now at catscradle.com

Leah Moore EP Release Show
w/ The Carolina Junebugs, Jesse Fox
Friday, September 18th
Cat’s Cradle Back Room
Doors: 7 pm : Show: 8 pm



North Carolina singer‑songwriter Leah Moore writes from the fault lines between vulnerability and strength. Her forthcoming debut EP, Home to Myself, traces the long journey back to one’s own voice and truth — through the treacherous waters of comparison, self‑doubt, bad actors, and heartbreak. Effortlessly blending folk, rock, pop, and country, Moore’s music defies genre categorization and moves with emotional clarity and vivid imagery, anchored by a voice that holds both power and tenderness.

Home to Myself was recorded at Nightsound Studios in Carrboro with a cohort of well‑respected local musicians: lead guitarist Mario Arnez (Blue Cactus), bassist Casey Toll (Skylar Gudasz, The Dead Tongues), drummer Stephen Mooneyhan, keyboardist Charles Cleaver, and fiddler Isa Burke (Lula Wiles, Aoife O’Donovan). Together with engineers Kei Mizobuchi and Chris Wimberley, they created an EP that feels intimate, honest, rooted, and, at times, electric.

Across the EP, Moore explores the tension between wanting to be seen and wanting to disappear, between offering yourself and protecting yourself, between losing your voice and finding it again. Home to Myself is the sound of someone stepping out of the shadows and back into her own life — not with certainty, but with courage.

07/28/2026

The great American folk rock singer! Robert Lester Folsom at Motorco Music Hall this October, with support from Liz Cooper.

Cat's Cradle Presents:
Robert Lester Folsom
w/ Liz Cooper
Wednesday, October 7th
Motorco Music Hall
Doors: 7 pm : Show: 8 pm

Tickets at motorcomusic.com

Sunshine Only Sometimes: Archives Vol. 2, 1972–1975 continues Anthology Recordings’ excavation, and exploration, of southern singer, songwriter, and psychedelic serviceman Robert Lester Folsom’s bountiful archives. Recorded across Georgia in various bedrooms, a barn, and a motel room with a reel-to-reel and a revolving cast of whip smart studio musicians in the first half of a dazed and confused decade, Sunshine Only Sometimes furthers Folsom’s place in the canon of long lost but eventually found independently spirited, high-flying American folk rock.

07/28/2026

Fresh off his performances at and Red Rocks Newport Folk Festival, rising Nashville star Evan Honer comes to Haw River Ballroom in October.

Cat's Cradle Presents:
Evan Honer: It’s An Even Longer Road Tour
w/ Zach Seabaugh
Sunday, October 18
Haw River Ballroom
Doors: 7 pm : Show: 8 pm

TICKETS: https://buff.ly/haooI6u

$1 per ticket will go to The Cloverdale Project, which supports organizations taking care of people, animals, and the world around us.

Address

300 E Main Street
Carrboro, NC
27510

Telephone

+19199679053

Website

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