Concert Review: Johnny Sunrise (Cat's Cradle Back Room)

BY BELLA DISTEFANO

Over the weekend, local musician Johnny Sunrise performed to an ecstatic crowd in the Cat’s Cradle Back Room as the opening act to Monadi and With Love.

I had previously heard Johnny Sunrise & Friends (Chris Chism, Eric Lee Hardt, Sam Thorn, and Adriana Walsh) perform at the Downtown Graham Sidewalk Serenade this past Spring, and when I heard he was performing at Cat’s Cradle, I knew I had to be there. So, just one day after moving back to North Carolina, I picked my least wrinkled outfit out of my still-full suitcase, grabbed my camera, and made my way over to Carrboro.

Before the show, an abundance of hugs were given as Johnny caught up with friends who were there to see him perform. I’m making a note to visit Steel String Brewery after this, because his coworkers were the most friendly and supportive group I’ve ever seen at a concert.

As he made his way onto the stage and started to strum his guitar, any nervous jitters went out the door. His stage presence was that of a musician who has been on many a tour before, you’d think he’s sold out dozens of big venues (and I have no doubt that he will). He performed his newest original song, "Bugs in the Attic," which was released on Spotify that night. And if you had the pleasure of being in attendance, his friend JP was there to give a step-by-step presentation on how to save the song to your library. A collage of friends joined him onstage throughout the performance - Reilly of With Love on guitar, Chris Chism with the lap steel, and Emmaus on the drums.

If you have FOMO because you weren’t at this show, don’t worry! Give a follow on Instagram @johnny.sunrise to see where he’s playing next.

And now for my final takeaways from this concert:

Johnny’s talent and kindness are going to take him far.
His friends truly are a spectacle.

[message]

BELLA DISTEFANO

Bella DiStefano splits her time between Graham, North Carolina and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. While home for the winter, she spends her days enjoying family time and photographing concerts while her friends sing along in the crowd. In the summer when she escapes to the island, she works at a marina during the day and photographs portraits and engagement sessions during her favorite time, golden hour. When she isn't taking pictures, Bella enjoys reading, traveling, and creating wearable art.

Read Bella's posts here