Gravity is the force that brings objects, animals, or people together. Case in point: one Sunday, on a walk down Durham’s Ninth Street, my wife Christine and I were drawn to ArtPost. In the backyard, behind the bar, we found Sean Graham, a mixture of Hunter S. Thompson and Andy Warhol! Gravity starts to take hold.
We entered the space, started talking with Sean, and automatically fell into his orbit. Speaking to Sean is very close to being, happily, electrocuted. He has energy, passion, and a drive to light up the world with his infectious personality.
Even better, he is harnessing the power of community to brighten the Durham art and music scene. After our initial meeting, we would often drop by and chat with Sean, discussing what he had going on and sharing the projects we were working on.
Months later, Christine and I decided to go to Common Market and check out their Thursday open mic night.
There, at the bottom of the stairs in a straw hat and yellow sunglasses, was Sean performing the first song of his set as Badcat! Badcat? Sean never mentioned he played music or that he had the stage name of Badcat. Immediately, we sat down on the stairs and focused our attention on Badcat.
An acoustic guitar is a simple tool constructed of wood and wire. When a guitar is in the hands of an individual who brings deep passion, energy, and beautifully crafted music, the wood and wire reach their full potential and come to life.
Open mics might be one of the toughest performances a musician can participate in. Typically, an open mic gives you three songs to sink or swim! So, if you can kill it at an open mic, you deserve some recognition. Badcat kills it.
He plays with a soft, raw quality that is welcoming, accessible, and vulnerable. Listening to him perform. You can’t help but feel you are a part of his world and enjoy the music as a gift.
Currently, Badcat does not have any official recordings available for the public. I asked for some tracks to listen to, and he treated me to a few recorded on his phone or home computer. The tracks are fantastic, capturing his sound in a very intimate way.
“Secret” is a beautiful song, from the heart and peppered with wit and wisdom. The sound and delivery are reminiscent of the Anti-Folk scene in NYC, which gave birth to acts such as the Moldy Peaches, Jeffrey Lewis, and Beck. After listening to the recording, I was fortunate enough to catch him playing the song live again. I couldn’t help but sing along.
He also does a great cover of “Rill Rill” by Sleigh Bells, both honoring the original but making it distinctly Badcat. The guitar work is lovely, and the vocal delivery is on point. It might end up being my favorite cover song of 2025.
“Why is Badcat important? Why should we care?”
Badcat is a performer who is lifting other performers and artists in Durham. Working at a local art supply store, he has created a Factory (Warhol) environment that is bringing together artists and musicians of varied backgrounds and styles. Our local art and music scene was built on people in the shadows, those who dig deep into the underground and help others get seen and heard.
That is why Badcat is important and why we should care.
On another Sunday a few weeks ago, I met with Badcat and Melanie, who is putting out the “Ninth Street Underground” zine. She was filming Sean interviewing local artists and musicians. Badcat is never not spreading joy and helping the community grow and explore intersections of art, culture, and expression.
I believe in the next year you will hear more of Badcat, more of the community he is building, and we will all benefit from his energy and drive.
If you are looking to feel the gravity and be pulled into Badcat’s orbit, swing by Artpost, just look for the guy who seems to be carrying sunshine in his bag and strike up a conversation.
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