Zach Sees a Concert: Wednesday
An Unexpected Journey
Kathryn had missed out on tickets to see Wednesday, a North Carolina band from Asheville whose latest record Bleeds came out last year to critical acclaim. She became active on the waitlist for the past month or so with nothing to guide her other than hope. Truthfully, I waved this off as fruitless given our limited success so far. However, this morning she came to me with a new update:
We got the tickets.
Thus, our evening was decided for us. We knocked out our remaining chores and errands before making our way to the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro.
Opener - verity den
The line to get in extended all the way to the parking deck, which aligned with our expectations given the ticket fiasco. However, it was quick to disperse, and our show would be soon to start after.
The opening act was a local band called verity den; I am a little undecided on them. They did not have a commanding stage presence, and the first half of the set felt like it couldn’t decide between indie mush or frenetic vocals. The second half of the set did improve, though. It was clear the group has taken a lot of influence from Sonic Youth and the Velvet Underground, and that is a sound I don’t need to be sold on irregardless of originality.
The Main Act
The rest of the concert was just as enjoyable as I had expected it to be. Being from North Carolina, the group was well familiar with the Cat’s Cradle and other state quirks, which allowed for a lot of positive crowd work. A mosh pit formed as encouraged by the band; I personally didn't think their music was the type that warranted a mosh, but based on the amount of moshers who congregated, I was in the minority on that opinion.
At the surface, Wednesday could easily be just another band from Appalachia. Each band member looks like someone you've hiked past along the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, they quickly rise from this noise to present the uniqueness of their own. The obvious highlight of the group is the vocals of frontman Karly Hartzman. Her style of singing blends elements of Southern accent, riot grrrl screaming, Midwestern emo voice cracking, and whining. This sounds like an insufferable combination, but it is a distinct stylistic choice that is incomparable with any other singer I know. It allows the raw passion of the songwriting to take the forefront without weighing down the otherwise energetic accompaniment.
Other Thoughts
A highlight of concerts held at the Cat's Cradle is always the sense of community felt by the attendees. No one is a stranger; after all, everyone here has at least one shared interest. One girl had created custom Wednesday stickers and went around the venue giving them to anyone she could find. She handed one to both me and Kathryn without so much another word beyond "here's a sticker for you".
We also had to explore the merch booth given the sudden increase of Wednesday representation in our Spotify libraries. Kathryn got a sticker and a T-shirt custom to the residence Wednesday was taking at the Cat's Cradle. I got a T-shirt that I thought pictured a sad rabbit, but the man at the table gently corrected me that it was a sad puppy. I wish I had gotten a better picture, but it was rather dark in the parking deck when I brought the merch back to my car.
