SYMPHONY X LIVE!! | CATS CRADLE

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Symphony X is out on tour celebrating their 25th anniversary. They performed at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC on June 10th where they brought along HAKEN and Trope. I got there early that night before the doors opened and there was already a pretty decent line waiting to get in as well. It wasn’t too long of a wait before everyone piled inside and out of the direct sunlight and heat.

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Trope started the night off right on time at 7:30. Trope is an alternative prog-rock band. Their live performance was as a duo, which I wasn’t too sure of when they came out on stage. It’s hard to warm up a crowd when most of the time a lot of people haven’t even shown up yet when you hit the stage. However, the fans that did arrive early were in for a treat. Diana Studenberg not only is a powerhouse of a vocalist, she was constantly dancing across the stage throughout their set fully engaging the crowd.Diana Studenberg Diana StudenbergDiana Studenber


https://www.tropetheband.com/


HAKEN were the second band to hit the stage. I’d noticed quite a few fans geared up in HAKEN t-shirts earlier in the night, so I knew they would be drawing a crowd. The venue was definitely more packed when their set began. I go to a lot of concerts and what really grabbed my attention was hearing the crowd starting to sing along starting at only their 2nd track. Which only continued their entire set.

https://hakenmusic.com/

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Headliners Symphony X didn’t hit the stage until just before 10:00 pm. For a weekday, this might seem late, but this was a Friday night. This crowd was definitely ready for it. I thought the venue was packed earlier in the night, but every time I looked behind me the room still managed to fill in even more. The music had been outstanding all night, but Symphony X proved why they were the headliner. Even after 25 years, each member is still on stage showing how excited they are to be there for their fans. I saw loads of smiling and even jumping around during their set. The light show behind them was awesome and their sound was huge, it was really like getting to see an arena rock band in a small intimate venue. I saw fans of all ages at this show having the time of their lives and the band seemed to be as well. This leg of their current tour will be ending this weekend, but I’d definitely recommend checking them out live next time they’re nearby.

http://www.symphonyx.com/

Contributing Photographer Daphne McKinney

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Photo by Daphne McKinney

Photo by Daphne McKinney