Six Foot Blonde "Kindergarten Crush-ed" it at the legendary Cat's Cradle

Jun 9, 2025

5 min read

Six Foot Blonde is a six-piece, self proclaimed "retro-pop-indie-soul" band based out of Bloomington, Indiana. Consisting of Julia Rusyniak (lead vocalist), Zach Patrick (guitar), Dom Heyob (bass/vocals), Elliot Obermaier (guitar), Brian Healey (drums), and John Alex Rusyniak (keys).

Conspiring from a shared love of music while in college at Indiana University, they began creating together and officially became a group in 2022. Just like all the bands from our favorite childhood movies, Six Foot Blonde creates their brimming hits from the comfort of a basement, explanatory to the aura the group gives off: Nostalgic, warm, and full of emotion.

Kicking off their first visit to Carrboro, Six Piece Blonde played one of North Carolina's most legendary venue's; Cat's Cradle. Following its conception as a basement venue in the late 1960's, Cat's has evolved into a two room, dual capacity venue that continues to be a staple in North Carolina's local and visiting music scene.

Telling the story of some of music greats, it has housed performances from Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, and The White Stripes (just to name a few of my favorites.)

Cat's Cradle has been a huge milestone venue for college and local bands for decades, drawing fans to the creative atmosphere, intimate nature, and opportunity to be apart of its action-packed history.

Joining Six Foot Blonde this stop was Wisconsin raised, Nashville based indie rock artist Genevieve Heyward. Capturing the audience with her silly humor, incredible talents, and laid back nature, she surely made lasting impacts and pulled new fans out of this crowd.

Genevieve is certainly making a name for herself, constantly blowing up on TikTok, and even hitting 25k+ streams on her single "All Along." Seeing her perform for the first time was an incredible sight in itself.

Heyward had a stage presence like no other, I felt just as if I was watching a real-life Hannah Montana. With unmistakable raw talent and a face meant to be famous (seriously it was shocking how many celebrity look-alikes I thought of even at first glance), it's no doubt she is meant for great things. I've already claimed my spot as a fan and urge you to do the same, you won't regret it!

Following Genevieve's striking performance, Six Foot Blonde graced the stage. I was beyond ecstatic to shoot this show. In mid-2024 I discovered the band through a sponsored post promoting their music video for "Landgirl" and immediately hopped on the Six Foot Blonde train.

Anyone who knows me will be the first to tell you "retro" is kind of my thing. The sheer aesthetics that make up this band is what drives such an uplifting and electric aura to not only their music but their performance styles as well.

Seeing Six Foot Blonde perform live felt so energetic yet connecting. Friends, families, and even couples shared moments of joy throughout the entire setlist. Groups around the venue buzzed with excitement and anticipation, even before they hit the stage.

Julia, lead vocalists of Six Foot Blonde, always puts her best platform forward (pun intended) when it comes to style, and performance. The band's chemistry is absolutely magnetic, they move just as one. Punchy baselines, sustained drum solos, and belting out of this world created a show worthy of every praise possible. Whether it was an emotional song of recollection, or a punchy break up anthem, the band kept the crowd entranced throughout.

Vibe-wise, female-fronting bands always bring an exciting wave to any genre. Think Paramore, Blondie, and No Doubt... not only is their discography consuming but the sheer presence and power they bring is legendary. I am so beyond excited to see how Six Foot Blonde continues to grow both aesthetic and genre wise.

Following the conclusion of the show, the band stuck around and met fans for nearly an hour. The connection followed from stage to set-up right until tear down. Something about Six Foot Blonde seems so fresh, inviting, and new. If you're looking for some color and funky tunes for your life, you surely have found the right place.