If you managed to catch any of Archers of Loaf’s recent two-night residency at the Cradle, you were probably asking yourself, ‘where the heck did the risers go?!’ Renovations have been underway since early July, but with the cooperation of safety officials and the occasional last-minute cleanup effort, the venue has stayed open.
Tonight, Chapel Hill’s The Old Ceremony is breaking in the new renovations with a free show. You can find more information on the event here.
We asked Frank Heath, owner of the Cradle, about the changes being made to the venue and how attendees can expect their experience to change.
DIVERSIONS: What exactly are the changes being made to the venue? What are some of the goals you hope to achieve with the new renovations?
FRANK HEATH: We have made or are making a lot of changes, all with the idea in mind of improving the concert experience for the musician and the fan.
We have installed a sprinkler system and along with it an updated fire alarm system. We have made some improvements to the sound system and will do a significant amount more in that area.
We have removed the drop ceiling in the front 2/3 of the club, which means there is more headroom above the stage for hanging lights, backdrops, etc., and which has also allowed us to raise the stage level by 6” — this improves sight lines for the audience.
We have made the stage and dressing room/ back stage production areas larger. We also centered the stage, which makes more of the area in the front of the club “prime” viewing space.
We relocated the main entrance toward the rear of the club, which should improve crowd flow and increase viewing angles for the audience.
We removed risers in the front half of the club, which frees up floor space and should give the club a more “open” feel for people attending shows.
And there are a lot of other smaller improvements that have been made or are in process currently. This project will be a work in progress for the next couple of months.
DIVE: How many shows took place while the renovations were going on? What were some of the logistical challenges of renovating without closing?
FH: We had a handful of shows in July (8, I think) and six more in August, spread out over three week/ weekends. The renovation had to be coordinated fairly closely with building and fire inspectors so that the club was safe every time we wanted to open up again. So, lots of frantic last minute cleanup sessions. But it’s been worth it, the shows we have had during that period have been some great ones! The Cradle staff and the group of carpenters/electricians working on the project have been amazing, working long and late hours to make sure everything came back together on time.
Durham’s Hammer No More the Fingers recently opened for Archers of Loaf at Cat’s Cradle. The venue was undergoing construction, but hours before Hammer’s show, frantic cleanup efforts made it safe for attendees. Photo Credit: DTH/Joseph Chapman
DIVE: How do you think concertgoers will respond to the changes? What would you like long-time Cat’s Cradle attendees to know about the changes?
FH: We think most people will appreciate the changes for reasons mentioned above.
We are aware that big changes along these lines can be disruptive, and we are attempting to hang onto the same ‘Cradle’ vibe in the space, while opening things up so that there’s more room to move around.
Also, folks should know that this remains a work in progress— we will keep on it until we feel everything is right. If we hear that something isn’t working for a lot of people, we’ll address it.
DIVE: Have you found any support from the community in the renovation process?
FH: Carrboro’s town officials — from the mayor and the head fire marshal on down — have been really helpful and supportive all along. People here in general have been supportive and enthusiastic for as long as we’ve been in town. It’s a really good environment for the arts and for small businesses.
The town inspectors have been very flexible working with us and allowing us to continue hosting shows during the process. They know what they are doing, and when they are working with professionals on a project, the trust level is there where they can assume that things will be done correctly and they’ll just need to stop in to double-check from time to time. And that has basically been the process with this project.
DIVE: Do you think the capacity of the venue will increase?
FH: We are keeping our fingers crossed that the capacity will be allowed to go up somewhat. We need to complete all aspects of this project, though, before the fire marshal will give us a higher capacity. And even if / when we do receive a higher occupancy number, we are going to be careful not to exceed sales on a given night that will be comfortable in the space — regardless of what number is posted on the wall.
DIVE: Will any new seating options be added to replace the old benches?
FH: We are experimenting with seating arrangements currently, and we will continue to work on this until we have what we feel is the best balance for the space.
DIVE: What’s next for Cat’s Cradle?
FH: Hopefully, what’s next is going to be a lot of great shows!
Cat’s Cradle has been presenting “outside promotions” at other venues for several years now, but we always have the most fun at the shows here in our home base space in Carrboro, and that is how things are going to stay for the foreseeable future.
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