Michigander brings a first Carrboro show to the Cat's Cradle Back Room

Jason Singer's indie-rock project and Nashville's Wildermiss play the Cradle's smaller room on Thursday, Nov. 5.

There's a particular pleasure in catching a touring band in the Back Room at Cat's Cradle, the smaller of the club's two rooms. Next Thursday, Nov. 5, that's where Michigander) lands, with Denver-born, Nashville-based Wildermiss opening. It's a small-room night in the middle of a long fall run, and it's worth getting there early.

The details: Michigander with Wildermiss, Thursday, Nov. 5, at Cat's Cradle (Back Room) in Carrboro. Doors are at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8, per the Cradle's own listing. Tickets are sold through Etix, the Cradle's ticketer. Check there for the current price before you go.

Michigander is the indie-rock project of Jason Singer, a singer, songwriter and guitarist who started it in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

This is also, as far as our records go, Michigander's first show in Chapel Hill–Carrboro. That alone is reason enough. First visits to the Back Room tend to be the ones people bring up years later, once a band has outgrown it.

Wildermiss is a good pairing. The band formed in Denver in 2016 and now lives in Nashville. Emma Cole sings and plays synth, Joshua Hester plays guitar and Caleb Thoemke plays drums. The two bands have history: both appeared on an Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness bill in Del Mar, California on an earlier tour. Here they're touring together again, with Michigander now the headliner.

The tour was already through Kansas City, St. Louis and Nashville in October. After the Cradle, the tour heads to Charlottesville on Nov. 6, Washington, D.C. on Nov. 7, Boston on Nov. 10, Detroit on Nov. 13, Pittsburgh on Nov. 14, Columbus on Nov. 15 and Chicago on Nov. 20. Carrboro catches it in a room where nobody is far from the stage.

A few things to know. The Back Room is the smaller of the Cradle's two clubs. The larger one is the Main Room, which the Cradle's about page puts at 750 capacity. The Back Room is a much tighter space. The venue's FAQ is clear about which is which, so check your ticket and head for the right door. There's a full bar. There's also a balcony with first-come, first-served seating, which is the move if you'd rather watch from above than stand in the crush up front. In a room this size it fills fast, so if you want a seat, get there near doors.

Thursday shows at the Cradle reward people who come out early on a work night. Wildermiss goes on first, and in a small room the opening set is often the one people talk about on the way home. Doors at 7 and an 8 p.m. start leave time for both bands without a late night.

So eat early, get there around 7, and find a spot along the rail. You'll be home before it gets too late on a school night, and you can say you saw Michigander in the Back Room.

Sources: Cat's Cradle — Events (catscradle.com); Cat's Cradle Back Room (catscradle.com); Cat's Cradle — FAQ (catscradle.com); Cat's Cradle — About (catscradle.com); Etix — Michigander with Wildermiss, Cat's Cradle Back Room (etix.com); Michigander (band) — Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org); Belly Up — Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Michigander, Wildermiss (bellyup.com); Live Nation — Wildermiss events (tour dates) (livenation.com)