Show Review: Andrew Marlin & Josh Oliver at Cat’s Cradle (Carrboro, NC – May 16, 2026)

It says a lot about musicians when even the dog a person brings to the show sits quietly in her lap, listening to every note. When I arrived about 30 minutes before the opening act, there were basically only single seats left at the Cat’s Cradle for Andrew Marlin & Josh Oliver (Watchhouse) duo show. That is unusual, and also speaks to just how excited the audience was to hear these two brilliant instrumentalists and vocalists collaborate in a stripped-down way. 

I was totally unprepared for Josh Moore, the opening act. There’s an acronym: IYKYK, If You Know, You Know. Well, I didn’t know. Josh Moore doesn’t have a website that I could find, has two albums on Spotify, and according to one person at the show, “sometimes plays around Chapel Hill and Carrboro, when he feels like it.” His voice is as soulful as I have ever heard. He’s not a belter, but the timing and inflection as he sang reflected a depth of connection to the lyrics that can sometimes be overshadowed when someone sings with too much volume. Halfway through his set, he was joined by Maria Quiles on percussion and harmony vocals, and their voices blended together so naturally. As soon as I got into the car after the show, I was looking up Josh Moore’s music (and videos of him playing with Andrew & Josh over 10 years ago), and I encourage you to check out his albums.

Andrew and Josh played an amazing set, a perfect mix of instrumentals, covers, and originals. I loved hearing Josh’s original songs, “Part of Life,” and “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over.” Many of the instrumentals came from Andrew’s extensive catalogue with his string band. One of the things I appreciate about how they sing together is that the harmony isn’t obvious, kind of like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, resulting in a deeply rich sound. And, man, they’re just having so much fun playing, and that infectious energy is so special to be around. 

It’s also amazing when some of your favorite musicians introduce you to new songs and artists. Josh sang lead on a cover of Ian Thomas’s “I Ain’t Lonesome.” With due respect to the original, Josh’s truly lonesome voice delivered the lyrics in a way that Thomas’s more polished vocal doesn’t reach. They also played an amazing version of “Who Carried You,” a song by Malcolm Holcombe. I am now utterly obsessed with that song. 

Emily Frantz joined them for a few songs at the end of the set, and both Emily, Josh Moore, and Maria Quiles were on for the last two songs of the encore. It was the perfect ending to a perfect show. 

This was the last show on Andrew & Josh’s duo run, but you can catch Watchhouse on the road this summer. 

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