On August 23rd, Tampa-based band Rohna and Chapel Hill darlings Wild Oak, The Wallabies, and Red Kanoo joined forces for Cat’s Cradle’s Indie Night. This was my first four-act show at Cat’s, and it felt more like a festival than a traditional concert. The Raleigh-based band Odd39 was initially listed on the website and flyers for the event, but just a few days before, Cat’s Cradle posted that Wild Oak would be performing in their place.

The night began with Wild Oak, a band composed of five UNC students. Perhaps it was the short notice they were given or nerves about performing a sold-out show, but they felt nervous. There wasn’t much crowd work, and their eye contact was focused more on each other and their instruments rather than the audience. They had a calm, subdued energy that was reminiscent of other alt rock artists like Backseat Lovers or Her’s. I imagine it was their first concert of that caliber, and I would love to see them again in the future to watch how their stage presence evolves.

As the only band not based in Chapel Hill, Rohna were the only performers without home-field advantage. Although they had the biggest following of all the bands, none of the audience members I asked (including myself) had heard of them. To say they surpassed my nonexistent expectations would be an understatement. From the beginning of the set, they invigorated the audience, bouncing around the stage and thrashing to the music. The set was a balanced mix of alt-rock covers and originals, with the band carrying a sort of rage-induced Arctic Monkeys energy. Mosh pits started brewing at which point the drummer jumped in and sent the crowd into an absolute craze. At the end of their set, I had gotten so lost in the energy I fully forgot there were two sets left. The intensity of the band definitely caught some off guard, but if you were willing to thrash, it was a great time.

I was first introduced to The Wallabies this past April during a Backyard BBQ set at the station. They gave a stellar performance that included a wicked saxophone solo. As a former band kid, I quickly became a fan. They manage to embody the spirit of indie boy bands well, striking a nice balance between performing originals, crowd favorites, and aura-farming. While I was disappointed the saxophone did not make an appearance, they brought the same charismatic, unapologetically cool attitude to Cat’s and made a proper fan girl out of me. If you’re into nonchalant indie bands like Foxtide, they’ll be right up your alley.

During the set change between The Wallabies and Red Kanoo, you could feel the energy start to dwindle. It had been hours of singing, dancing, and moshing, and the audience was feeling it. As cheers turned to yawns and the crowd started to thin, I was worried Red Kanoo wouldn’t be able to muster the same energy. Thankfully, as soon as they hit the stage, the people were pulled back in. You could tell by their faces of awe and disbelief it was the biggest venue they’d played. The band came out with huge smiles, an infectious excitement, and something no other band had. A saxophone. Epic. Their set was mostly pop-punk covers with a few originals sprinkled in. The band felt down to Earth, particularly during their rendition of Santeria, in which the drummer walked through the crowd singing along, offering the tambourine to fans. This gaggle of bright eyes and bushy tails delivered a delightful set to conclude the night.