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Superchunk |
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LIVE REVIEWSLive from Tobacco Road: Shows in and around North Carolina |
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Few bands can pack the house on a frigid winter night in Chapel Hill, but local favorite Superchunk has the gift. This band is an indie rock magnet that attracts scenesters by the truckload. And at this sold-out show at the Cat's Cradle, people without tickets were being turned away hours before Superchunk even took the stage. The Rondelles played an opening set for the packed crowd. These co-eds churned out catchy indie pop reminiscent of Elastica and the Slits. Their drummer, who sported a bushy mop top, played his kit standing up like Maureen Tucker, but this guy went a step further--he played the drums with one hand and a keyboard with the other. His technique was an eye-opening experience. Superchunk then took the stage for an energetic set. Bassist Laura Ballance bounced around the stage as her flailing hair went into "Cousin It mode." Of course, an indie rock veteran like Ballance doesn't need to see her bass to play it--she feels the music. If it hadn't been for his stationary microphone, singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan would have been exploding across the stage too. It was obvious his body wanted to break away with every distortion-rich chord erupting from his guitar. Superchunk played some cuts off their newest album, Come Pick Me Up. The band also delivered a nice selection of classics, including "For Tension" and "Precision Auto" from On the Mouth, as well as "Hyper Enough" and "Silver Leaf And Snowy Tears" from Here's Where the Strings Come In. One highlight of the show was the band's performance of "Driveway to Driveway," possibly the best song in the Superchunk arsenal. Although the Cradle was packed, only the two rows of people closest to the stage tapped into Superchunk's energetic performance. The rest of the crowd were zombies--these people knew they were supposed to be at this show, but they weren't exactly sure why. So, they quietly sipped their beers and stared off into space while Superchunk tore holes in their ears. The audience's lethargy wasn't a commentary on Superchunk or their performance that night. Superchunk really did put on a great show. Just ask those people in the first two rows. Andrew Helminger
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SUPERCHUNK
