THE WLDLIFE AT CAT’S CRADLE
BY ALYSSA SCINTAThe Wldlfe stops through Cats Cradle in Carrboro on their second week of their ‘A Place Where You Are’ tour; the second leg of this tour, featuring Fox Royale.
Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro is claimed by Janson Hogan, frontman of The Wldlfe, as their favorite place to play on the East Coast. This claim comes to life as the band plays. With unmatchable energy and a clear connection between band and crowd, the Wldlfe has an incapability to host a bad show.
If you’ve read more of my work, you may know by now my close criticism of lighting choices made by artists on their tours. On the Wldlfe’s lighting design, however, I have no notes! Multiple layers of lights in the foreground, silhouette, and detail lights with interesting color choice combos create a interesting show with visual depth. One of my favorite elements of the night included this strip of RGB LEDs lining the front of the stage facing straight up, that casts a rainbow-like wall to separate the band and the crowd.
With the lack of a barricade separating the band from the crowd, the band takes advantage of an interesting use of elevation, with a frequent use of the front monitors as stepping stools to oversee the crowd. Some of my favorite moments of the show include when members of the band elevate themselves, lean over the crowd, and the rainbow LEDs as described earlier cast glowy lights over themselves.
Other artists have been seen to do this style of uncertain set lists in the past; I think of the inflatable dice that 5 Seconds of Summer included in their 2023 tour, including older songs that they would play chosen to them by the roll of the dice. Reflected on the coin, the songs Anxious and Both/And were the choices.
‘I never thought I’d say this at a Wldlfe Show,’ says Jansen, before he says, ‘but I’m going to need y’all to open the pit.’ After the coin was spun in the middle of the crowd, Both/And was the lucky winner of the coin flip, and that was the song played as follows.
The A Place Where You Are tour, a reference to the song, ‘Heaven is a Place Where You Are’ is played as a closer for the night, a special song to the band, as it also is the title track for their sixth album. Jansen wrote this song about his long term girlfriend, however, this song is also associated with this tour, as this band often calls their fans some of the greatest.
Ending the show with a 3 song encore, the band begins with the other half of the coin options; Anxious. Another song featured in this encore includes a popular favorite from their last tour, Box; but a special twist. This song is a mashup with Hannah Montana’s song, “Best of Both Worlds.”
The Wldlfe was accompanied by Fox Royale, what I’d like to call ‘Wild Western’ inspired rock. This four piece band includes a brother duo, catchy beats, beautiful lyrics, and a moment of acapella by our three frontmen. If you’re a fan of bands such as the Crystal Casino Band or Young Culture, you may like Fox Royale.
