I signed up to go to this show about a month in advance. Mandolin Orange is probably one of my favorite local bands, and I had recently started listening to The Devil Makes Three. Despite my planning, Sunday night concerts are usually a little rough to attend. While I may be dedicated to the 8-hour of sleep per night, the impending Monday morning did not stop Cat’s Cradle from filling up at 9 p.m. to hear the melancholy folk of Mandolin Orange’s Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin, followed by Devil Makes Three. The talented duo played the usual favorites – the ones where the crowd hushes and sings along– “Poor Boy Poor Me” and “These Old Wheels”. I always love the abrupt, ironic change in sound when the buzzing crowd starts singing “silence is golden, some may say, some may say…”
Emily and Andrew announced that they will be releasing a new album in September and played a few numbers from that. It seems their album will have much the same great sound found in Quiet Little Room and the self-titled EP. However, Emily did pick up an electric guitar a bit more than usual, primarily used for soothing harmonies and gently strummed intros. The duo finally announced that Mandolin Orange will return to Cat’s Cradle September 24 for their album release party. If you can’t wait that long, look for Mandolin Orange at Hopscotch Music Festival. Mark your calendars! Fellow WKNC DJ, Rob Lampe, said “Mandolin Orange gets better every time I see them… and I’ve seen them at least 6 times” . And he’s right – their chemistry only gets more tangible, their harmonies even more entwined, and their orchestration becomes flawless.
Due to the workweek ahead of us, my friends and I had to leave before The Devil Makes Three came on. What did you think of the show? Tell us how it was – make us jealous.