North Carolina-based Merge Records has a fun longstanding relationship with the Durham Bulls, the local minor league baseball franchise. Every season the ball club hosts a Merge Records night featuring appearances by various indie rock luminaries. Yesterday was the fifth installment of the event, and the highlight had to Titus Andronicus mastermind Patrick Stickles’ opening pitch, which you can watch below in all its glory.
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Also, Benji Hughes and his daughter sang the national anthem:
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And Boston Red Sox organist Josh Kantor — who previously covered Death Cab For Cutie at Fenway Park — performed selections from the Merge catalog throughout the evening:
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If you’ve never read it, SPIN’s feature from a few years back about Merge’s relationship with Durham, which takes place in part at a previous Durham Bulls x Merge Records event, is a great read.
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This post originally appeared on Stereogum.
