Photos and review by: Jason Robey

CARRBORO, NC — It’s been more than a decade since indie rock veterans the Eels have played in North Carolina, and the crowd at the Cats Cradle tonight couldn’t be more ecstatic that they’re back. The band doesn’t tour the U.S. often or on any large scale, so the majority of the people here have likely never seen most or all of these songs performed live, and the conversations in the line before the show support that. 

The show opened with an entertaining 40-minute set by Austin Antoine. Mostly rapping, with some soulful singing passages and poetry mixed in, Antoine weaved some well-crafted and witty stories into his act. Getting the crowd involved in his performance, he free-styled with the names of audience members and local eateries. He told stories of a recent part in a movie, his move to Los Angeles, and other musings on life. 

By the time The Eels took the stage, the room was wall-to-wall packed with people waiting to hear what the band had in store for the evening. As their walk-on music faded and the band took their places, the opening notes of “Steam Engine” bounced off the walls of the venue with the cheering and dancing bodies of their fans. That kicked off a five song run without stopping for a breath, which included two new covers for the band, “Me and the Boys” by NRBQ and “Whatcha Gonna Do About It” by the Small Faces.

Band leader Mark Oliver Everett, known also by his stage name of “E,” took a minute to talk to the crowd and acknowledge their long absence from the state, before slowing the pace down for stretch. Newer songs “Anything for Boo” and “The Gentle Souls” mingled beautifully with older fan favorites “Jeannie’s Diary” and “3 Speed,” showing the evolution and strength of E’s writing over the past 30+ years.

The group kept things lighthearted between songs with antics like drummer Little Joe eating snacks while playing and E announcing to the audience that due to their doctors’ advice, they’re all wearing Apple watches and will be notifying everyone whenever one of them reaches their activity goal. Not surprisingly, Little Joe was the first to reach the goal, which was shown on the screen behind the band. The group also put some obvious thought into the stage aesthetic, as they all wore suits and sunglasses for the entire show, with E standing out in his green velvet suit jacket.

Throughout the evening, the band threw curve balls at even the most hardcore fans, such as singing the lyrics to their early song “My Beloved Monster” to the music of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” and a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “Drummer Man,” sung by guitarist The Chet. The band would end up playing for two hours, including the encore that E referred to as “the grand show business show tradition of walking off the stage forever…maybe it’s a charade, maybe it’s not.” While everyone in attendance hopes it’s not another decade before the group returns to the area, it’s safe to say they all left happy with the show they just witnessed. Follow the Eels on social media to keep up on tour dates.