The ROSEBUDS w/ The HONORED GUESTS
JANUARY 16, 2008
CAT'S CRADLE, CARRBORO, NC
WORDS: JAY LOWE
PHOTOS: ELLIOTT HICKS

Merge Records outfit The Rosebuds performed to a nigh sold out crowd at Chapel Hill's most famous next-door venue, Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, supported by hometown heroes The Honored Guests. According to drummer Andrew Kinghorn of The Honored Guests, a mutual friend between the two bands recommended they play together.

The Honored Guests opened their set with dreamy, ethereal echoes of guitar and finished strong with their fan-favorite “Say You Will.” Their performance spanned the musical spectrum from multi-layered, ghostly guitar-scapes to straight up rock and roll. Russell Baggett and Patrick O’neill’s technical, dueling Telecasters made for one dynamo of a performance. The vibrant, lively basslines of Jeremy Buenviaje certainly kept me guessing as to the next magnificent turn THG’s music would make. In fact, Kinghorn even said this show was one of the best they had every played at the Cat’s Cradle.

The Rosebuds (Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp) had a rough start due to some technical difficulties, but once they got going they really got feet moving with their synth-heavy indie-pop. Pink Christmas lights snaked across the stage as the trio performed crowd-pleasers like “Hold Hands and Fight.” It seems the one audience demand The Rosebuds weren’t able to satisfy was playing a rendition of Salt’n’Pepa’s “Push It”, an expected occurrence due to The Rosebud’s blog posting ( CLICK TO READ ) just a few hours before the show. The band sounded surprisingly complete for having just three performers, though Howard and Crisp’s vocal chords projected more than just lyrics by doubling as instruments during their most intense musical breakdowns. The 'Buds really connected to their audience by the end of the show by way of a sing-along followed by an impromptu on-stage dance party to the tune of “Get Up Get Out.”

In case you missed this show, you can see The Rosebuds touring this spring and summer, though as a quintet rather than a trio. And if you haven’t had the opportunity to see The Honored Guests on one of their national tours, you’d better make the trek or at least pick up their latest CD, Tastes Change out on Breakfast Mascot now.

http://www.therosebuds.com/
http://www.thehonoredguests.com/