Junior Brown Cat's Cradle Saturday, Nov. 9 3 Stars Perhaps the most telling moment at Saturday's Junior Brown show was when Brown took a break. Even when gone for only a few seconds, he was missed. Junior Brown -- for what it's worth -- was alone on stage. Without Brown, his band was little more than country/Western elevator music. But Brown took few breathers.
"Auto Focus"
Lab! Theater "Cryptogram" Fri., Nov. 1 Three Stars Lab! Theatre's newest production, "Cryptogram," is all about what's not there. With only three cast members, a small set and on-stage seating for the audience, the play is intimate in many ways. From the beginning, the performers delve into the problems that are quietly controlling the lives of their characters.
Guided by Voices Cat's Cradle Saturday, Oct. 26 4 Stars Guided by Voices is not, by any means, the original indie rock band. It has, however, absolutely defined the genre. The definitive article, it seems, remains a mirage in the wide margins of the mainstream and the hot new single, yet the band remains an icon of the not-too-distant underground. Icons have shows like Saturday night's at the Cat's Cradle.
Around the corner from deep-fried candy bars and a little past the world's largest sewer rat at the N.C. State Fair, you'll find a tent that houses some history. Twice daily, the N.C. State Fair Folk Festival brings North Carolinians back to their roots. The next two weeks will feature thousands of performers of all ages competing in more than 20 categories that include clogging, instrumental, vocal and country line-dancing.
"Let's pretend we're zombies and start attacking him!" joked a shaggy adolescent to his two wide-eyed friends Friday afternoon. Such was the spectacle that was Bruce Campbell -- the cult icon who appeared Friday at the Bull's Head Bookshop to endorse his new book "If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a 'B' Movie Actor."
Indie pop. Power pop. The new pop underground. Regardless of the term used, fans of the independent pop scene will have their hands full beginning Wednesday at the third annual Sparklefest. Hosted by Local 506, Sparklefest will feature 32 bands over the course of four nights. Nearly all the bands, including The Shazam, The Grip Weeds and The Mockers, showcase the kind of raw, energetic rock that has been -- more than ever before -- garnering countless fans.
Super Furry Animals Cat's Cradle Friday, Sept. 27
"Stealing Harvard" 1 Star "Stealing Harvard" is unmistakably bad -- and not even bad in a funny way, but in a desperate, pathetic, painful way. It's so bad that you will want to find its actors on the street and just shake some sense into them.
