This post was updated July 20 at 6:26 p.m.
Caamp didn’t need tents, s’mores or sleeping bags to fill Los Angeles with happy campers.
On Wednesday night, the self-described “Ohio boys making beautiful noise” kicked off the second leg of their “Live and In-Concert” tour at the Greek Theatre. The performance came just over a month after the release of the folk band’s fourth studio album, “Copper Changes Color,” although only four of its tracks made it onto the evening’s setlist. Drawing from the brightest gems across its nine-year discography, Caamp curated a delightfully warm, intimate experience that embraced both casual listeners and longtime fans.
After a phenomenal opening set from indie group Whitney, Caamp took the stage at 8:55 p.m. to the sound of The Strokes’ “You Only Live Once.” The upbeat hit was a wise choice to invigorate the audience, though its tone differed drastically from the folk band’s opening number: the slow, romantic “Lavender Girl.” Continuing with the laidback tracks “Hey Joe” and “Snowshoes,” most of the bandmates didn’t move that much, admittedly lacking the dynamism one would expect to amp up a live show.
As the performer most often spotlighted on screen, lead vocalist and founding member Taylor Meier was largely in control of the audience’s energy. While it took a few songs – and a few sips of wine – for him to warm up, Meier eventually dazzled as a frontman, looking effortlessly cool in necklaces, shades and an open button-up shirt. By the set’s fourth number, the faster-paced “Common Man,” the musician was joyously hollering and successfully got the crowd to dance along.
Meier’s strongest moments, however, arrived several tracks later when he traded his acoustic guitar for an electric one. For “Mistakes,” a single from Caamp’s most recent album, the group leaned fully into a rock sound as the stage was doused in deep hues of red and purple. This was followed by “Shade,” a more emotional piece from the same LP, with the band sitting on a platform together to foster a more intimate feeling. Despite devoting little time to “Copper Changes Color,” the band’s performances from the album were among the best of the night, perhaps because it found the fresher material more exciting.
When the evening’s energy dipped, it actually wasn’t a result of the songs, but instead the space between them. There were no real transitions from one track to the next throughout the concert: the lights would dim, some bandmates would wander around for a bit, then the lights would come back up. Because Meier didn’t frequently address the crowd in these moments, most audience members filled the gaps by talking amongst themselves, pulling people in and out of the experience.
That being said, one transition toward the end of the show piqued fans’ interest: Meier swapped places with drummer Nicholas Falk. From there, the group broke into a cover of Empire of the Sun’s 2008 hit “Walking On A Dream.” The electropop tune was surprisingly enjoyable in Caamp’s earthier style, and rainbow lighting behind the stage rounded out the nostalgic atmosphere. Meier remained on drums for the following number, “Going to the Country,” which boasted noticeably more power in its live instrumentation than the 2018 recording provides.
Nonetheless, Caamp did eventually return to its more subdued, folksy roots. It closed the evening with a sweet trio of “On & On & On,” “By and By” and “All the Debts I Owe,” the latter two being among their most-streamed songs of all time. For “On & On & On,” Meier left the stage to trek through the audience, happily handing out high-fives to fans in farther seats.
While the final number, a song about fleeing home to escape debt, wasn’t exactly the most optimistic message to end on, the evident fan-favorite — “All the Debts I Owe” — seemed to light up the crowd. Nearly every guest sang along to the 2016 hit, making it particularly touching to hear the last line, “I’ll be back someday, I hope,” before the bandmates hugged and left the stage for good around 10:30 p.m.
And LA should indeed hope that Caamp comes back soon, primarily because it is the perfect fit for the Greek Theatre. Arguably the city’s best venue, the Greek doesn’t match with every artist: it’s outdoors, among the trees of Griffith Park, seats less than 6,000 guests and is faced in a single direction. This is ideal for Caamp, however, which plays in an intimate style and has a rather granola fanbase – in a complimentary way.
On that note, Caamp’s most popular songs fit nicely within the broader folk genre – which also goes to say they don’t exceptionally stand out. If Wednesday’s show proved anything, it’s that the band is at its best when it departs from the traditional, slow-paced, banjo-backed woods. Whether or not that’s something its listeners want to hear is less clear. “Copper Changes Color” was met with mixed reviews on fan forums and has relatively low streaming numbers. But it is evidently the direction the band wants to move in, and that type of honesty is where good art is born from.
Honesty is the quality of Caamp’s that sticks long after the concert is done. The best moments of Wednesday night were the times the band looked the happiest. While they might not be natural-born superstars, the group excelled at creating a show that felt fully its own.
For another authentic and fun-filled performance, folk fans will have to hope Caamp returns to LA “By and By.”
Comments are closed.