The Rosebuds play an intimate set at UNC

All photos by Kevin Norris

Local indie heroes The Rosebuds took the stage Thursday night at the recently-renovated Historic Playmakers Theatre at UNC. Though they got off to a late start, the group delivered an hour-long set that was just gentle enough, and a great appetizer for those who stopped by en route to the Destroyer show in Carrboro.

Kelly Crisp and Ivan Howard front the band, but the evening's performance featured other area musicians including Bowerbirds' Mark Paulson on bass and Lost in the Trees' Leah Gibson and Jenavieve Varga on cello and viola, respectively. The strings added another layer to the music that really helped it shine, particularly on "Life Like" and "Nice Fox."

The show's only real kink was the occasional bumbling between songs, but it was all easily forgiven. It was The Rosebuds' first show since their City Plaza show at Hopscotch last September, and even that show was their only that year. They had been focusing instead on recording a new album, and the audience was treated to some of the new material.

The Rosebuds' fifth album, Loud Planes Fly Low, is due out on Merge Records on June 7. None of the new tracks sounded like tremendous departures from the group's earlier recordings, but The Rosebuds are good at making sadness sound beautiful and should stick with it.

The show was a part of the Carolina Union Activities Board's $1 concert series, whose alumni include other local heavyhitters like Hammer No More The Fingers and The Never.

Set list
Get Up Get Out
Back to Boston
Blue Bird
Cemetery Lawns
Leaves Do Fall
(new)
(new)
Life Like
(new)
Second Bird of Paradise
(new)
Nice Fox