Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

ch-scene - Re: Cat's Cradle & Durham?

ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: RTP-area local music and culture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Bryon Settle <ployntabs AT embarqmail.com>
  • To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: Cat's Cradle & Durham?
  • Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:21:56 -0400

Yeah, I saw that David Byrne was playing Asheville. Does Frank feel that he needs to expand if and when he has to move?

James Hepler wrote:
No acts come to mind directly, but it does seem as though the Orange Peel
(950 capacity to the cradle's 650) in Asheville is becoming the new
destination for bands that draw in that 1000 people range. Smashing
Pumpkins I guess might be an example, albeit a poor one. Perhaps New
Pornographers, Peter, Bjorn, & John, etc?




On Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 6:34 PM, Bryon Settle <ployntabs AT embarqmail.com>wrote:

So what acts would we see if there was a thousand seat space?

grady wrote:
It all sounds like a bunch of hooey to me. Specifically, the type of
hooey that developers toss around when they're getting frustrated at
local opposition to their projects. Sort of like "well, we appreciate
your concerns, but if we don't get the green-light to proceed with our
project by FRIDAY then circumstances beyond our control might force us
to build a Wal-Mart with on-premise strip club instead."

Except since it's Carrboro we're talking about, and the developers
probably aren't evil, but rather just getting impatient with some
late-term naysayers who apparently didn't bother to raise their concerns
during any of the opportunities for public input over the past 3 years
(remember this thread?

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.music.chapel-hill/browse_frm/thread/32360402f81bf7bb/400074a8ace20151
), the doomsaying takes the somewhat more passive-aggressive form of
Laura Van Sant making vague statements about how she sure hopes the
Cradle doesn't up and move to Durham due to the uncertainty surrounding
the development.

Or, to quote (extensively) from the Schultz & Menconi article in the
CHN/N&O:
------- begin quote -----------
A developer proposing the renovation of the nightclub's East Main Street
shopping center urged the Carrboro Board of Aldermen to approve the
project Tuesday night, saying any further delay could send Cradle owner
Frank Heath packing.

"It's absolutely an integral part of our project," Laura Van Sant said
in an interview Wednesday. "It is a fact he has landlords in Durham
offering him free space."

But it's not clear that delaying the 300 East Main Street project would
force the Cradle to leave Carrboro. In an e-mail statement, Heath said
he gets regular inquiries about relocating the Cradle to a larger space
in one of the Triangle's other cities.

"It can get a bit frustrating knowing that our current spot really is
where this venue needs to stay, while also knowing that we could benefit
from a larger space," Heath wrote.

When asked about Van Sant's claim he'd been offered rent-free space in
Durham, Heath answered that it was more along the lines of booking shows
elsewhere than a space of his own to operate as Cat's Cradle.
--------- close quote -----------
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1221382.html

I'm not attempting to predict the future, but what I *am* saying is that
this project has been in the works for well over three years, and while
I'm sure Frank Heath has done a good job of formulating contingency
plans, the fact that he hasn't moved before now would indicate that he's
unlikely to up & move just because the project is *not* moving ahead.

And just to provide background that's missing from the current coverage:
the plan, as it was explained to me, was for the Cradle to move into the
Performance Bikes space once it came time to bulldoze the stripmall
itself, and then eventually move into a custom-built space near the back
corner of the project, along with the ArtsCenter.

Obviously grandiose plans such as those are exactly the sorts of things
to get amended &/or jettisoned once time & money get tight, and it would
be nice to see the coverage address some of that.

Our friend Dave Menconi is fond of citing the shows that *don't* hit the
Triangle due to the lack of a ~1000-seat venue, but unless there's a
1000-capacity building with all the requisites (parking, plumbing, etc)
just sitting unused in Durham or elsewhere, I don't think that's going
to play into this particular decision.

One other bit of missing information: what's the planned capacity of the
"new" Cradle that's featured in the plans for the East Main development?

Ross

Gary Miller wrote:

I was walking down the hallway in my building today and spied a
headline on the front of the Daily Tar Heel that caught my eye:

"Durham Eyes Cat's Cradle"

The article is about the proposed development at 300 E. Main St. and
quotes someone from Main Street Properties as saying "He's literrly
getting offered free space by folks in Durham." The "he" in that
sentence is Frank. Frank is quoted as saying he's keeping his options
open. "Given the uncertainty with regards to the timing and future of
the Carrboro project, Cat's Cradle is trying to keep an open mind
about any future locations and configurations for the club." It goes
on to say he's isn't currently planning to move the venue.

I realize I'm probably way out of the loop. But, although I knew
about the development, this is the first I've heard about the impact
it could potentially have on the Cradle's location, esp. being
recruited by Durham.

Anyone else?

Gary
-- ch-scene: the list that mirrors alt.music.chapel-hill --
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ch-scene


-- ch-scene: the list that mirrors alt.music.chapel-hill --
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ch-scene



-- ch-scene: the list that mirrors alt.music.chapel-hill --
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ch-scene

-- ch-scene: the list that mirrors alt.music.chapel-hill --
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ch-scene






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page