Free Cats Den concert, local bands hope to offer something unique

By Roy York

Crowded bars and sweaty clubs are not the only places students can go to check out local bands before they make it big.

Tiny Fights and Noisycrane, two up-and-coming local bands, will perform in the Student Center on April 16 at 8 p.m. as part of a yearlong concert series sponsored by the Cats Den. Each band promises to bring a unique sound to the stage.

Cody Swanson, the founder of Noisycrane and topical studies senior, said that his band will perform classic singer/songwriter folk style music on Thursday. Swanson classified his band as both “freak folk” and “psychedelic folk.”

Noisycrane features Swanson’s talents with vocals, guitar, accordion, trumpet and banjo, and it has also incorporated the cello, bass, violin, trombone and harmonica depending on the members involved at any given time.

“The band changes depending on who’s involved,” Swanson said. “We’re mostly just a three-piece band right now.”

Noisycrane got its start in Lexington when Swanson first came to UK, and the band has seen numerous artists come and go. The group has released two full-length albums titled “Limestone Walls and Frozen Falls” and “Portmonteau,” and recently released a five-song EP titled “Dead Metaphors and Bedroom Floors.”

Swanson hopes to continue playing after college and to find even more artists to join him.

The band has played at many local venues including the original Dame, Al’s Bar, Cultural Preservation Resources and the Cats Den in 2008.

“It’s great to share with people,” Swanson said of his band. “It’s fun. It’s like a creative art piece.”

Members of Tiny Fights share Swanson’s enthusiasm for performing and sharing music. Aaron Wilburn, a member of Tiny Fights and an English senior, said his band enjoys playing their style. Tiny Fights can be described as an electro-rock group, he said.

Tiny Fights uses a traditional guitar and bass but uses a laptop computer in place of drums to create rhythm, Wilburn said.

The local band has played venues in Lexington like CPR and Al’s Bar.

Trey Harris, Cats Den concert coordinator, said the Cats Den wanted to offer a free venue for students to enjoy concerts while creating a unique sound with the bands that play there.

“We really want as much variety as possible,” Harris said.

Harris said the concerts are planned and produced almost entirely by students.

“It’s like working at an actual venue,” Harris said. “On the day of the concert, I’m running around like crazy.”

In the past year, the Cats Den has hosted such bands as The Chap, LA Loux, Pineapple Explode, The Outfit and many other local artists.

The free concert begins Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Cats Den.