Every year WKNC, N.C. State’s student-run radio station, holds its Double Barrel Benefit Concert, a showcase of the finest acts that North Carolina has to offer. In previous years the event was typically a back-to-back, two-day event held in Raleigh, most recently at The Pour House downtown. 

However, for 2014—the 11th year of the fundraising concert—the radio station decided to branch out with its annual festival by splitting the event between two weekends and two venues: Cat’s Cradle, in Carrboro, and the Lincoln Theatre, in Raleigh. 

Friday’s event marked the first night of the festival and showcased a truly impressive array of talents from the area. Combining swiftly rising upstarts such as Ghostt Bllonde and T0W3RS, and highly revered gatekeepers such as Hammer No More, The Fingers and The Love Language, WKNC packed out the Cat’s Cradle for an evening of wildly energetic sets from some of the regions most beloved acts. 

Raleigh’s Ghostt Bllonde kicked off the evening in front of a burgeoning crowd, setting a brisk and frenetic pace for the rest of the night. The band’s set was filled with highlights from its debut album TrashPop/DoomWop, a few new tunes and a cover that frontman Marc Kuzio proclaimed “your grandparents might know.” Its fuzzed out take on 50s pop sentiments shone through as Kuzio’s vocals gracefully swung in and out of sequential croons and shouts, all the while keeping up with punk-tinged rhythms. 

Carrboro’s T0W3RS took the stage next and proved that you don’t need a backing band to rock out the massive Cat’s Cradle. Though T0W3RS previously served as a psychedelic indie rock outlet for songwriter Derek Torres’ mystifying musings, it’s transformed into an electronically infused solo project that leans more toward LCD Soundsystem than anything else. 

Torres brought along a minimalistic lighting set-up that framed the tenacious vocalist in an entrancing manner, creating a rich environment to soak in the funky electro-pop grooves. Opening with the Lonnie Walker cover that brought Torres his initial attention within the local scene, he bounced and bobbed his way through a ton of new material and a fan-favorite from his previous Wyatt EP as well. 

Torres’ solo work was easily the standout of the evening, serving as many people’s debut into the new era of T0W3RS.

Grizzled area vets Hammer No More The Fingers brought its quirky indie rock out as the penultimate act of the evening, playing a career spanning collection of tunes that had hundreds of area supporters shouting and swaying along. It’s technically proficient brand of college rock has long been one of the Triangle’s indie-rock staples and the devotion that the area bands and scene has for this band shows clearly. 

Acts such as Ghostt Bllonde drew heavily from the standards set by acts such as Hammer and seeing the evening’s acts all come together throughout the evening serves as a testament to this scene’s inclusiveness. Throughout the night that performers could be seen looming over the stage on the backstage balcony, singing along as fervently as the concertgoers.  

As The Love Language took the stage, the venue was brimming with excitement. Throughout the evening, WKNC DJs raffled off tickets for highly anticipated events such as the upcoming Chrvches show, gift certificates to Top of the Hill and Bull City Records, and bags of LPs from area record stores such as Sorry State—so by the time the headliners took the stage the venue’s energy level was palpable. 

As The Love Language beamed with appreciation for WKNC, the night took a celebratory turn shifting from a benefit concert to a fun-loving sing-along. The band trekked through anthemic songs from their three LPs, performing fan favorites like “Heart to Tell,” “Lalita,” “Brittany’s Back” and much more throughout their expansive set. Stu McLamb’s voice rang out throughout the crowded venue for slower tunes like “Manteo” and the crowd raised a chorus as they shouted back the song’s lyrics. 

As the band came out for its encore it was clear that the increased scope of this year’s event paid off in bunches. Previous years saw venues like The Pour House at capacity, but a packed out Cat’s Cradle boasts nearly twice that attendance level. With yet another evening of highly lauded local acts still ahead for Valentine’s Day at Raleigh’s Lincoln Theatre, it looks like WKNC’s annual fundraiser just took quite the jump in importance.