Lineup
On their earthy, jubilant new album, the Columbus, Ohio, band Caamp examine those in-between days that make up a life--not the best or most eventful days, certainly not the worst or most tragic, but those full of small pleasures and forgotten disappointments. Taylor Meier, the group's singer and primary songwriter, came up with the phrase Lavender Days to describe them--a phrase that struck him out of the blue, "like a coconut out of the sky," he says with a laugh. Why lavender? "It's nostalgic. It can remind you of your grandmother's perfume or maybe the air freshener in your mom's car. It can summon up all of these incredible memories and transport you to those in-between days, which I think everybody remembers with more clarity than the big events."
Caamp have been writing and singing about those lavender days--in tender love songs tinged with melancholy and determination--ever since Meier played his first notes with bandmate Evan Westfall more than a decade ago. They met as students at Ohio University in Athens, playing local coffeehouses and growing more committed to this extracurricular project. With the addition of Matt Vinson on bass and Joseph Kavalec on keyboards, they built up a grassroots following well beyond the Buckeye State based on the inventiveness of Meier's songwriting, the exuberance of their live performances, and their tireless dedication to touring as much as possible.
From their self-titled 2016 debut album to their most recent releases of By and By in 2019 to Live From Newport Music Hall, "Fall, Fall, Fall", and "Officer of Love" in 2020 the band has amassed over 590 million streams globally as well as achieved multiple #1's at AAA radio. The band has headlined sold out shows and performed at major festivals around the world including Firefly, Shaky Knees, Forecastle, Outside Lands, Austin City Limits, Great Escape and many more. They have also performed on national TV
Their new album Lavender Days will be released via Mom + Pop records on June 24th.
This summer I saw Caamp at both the “Under the Big Sky” Festival in White Fish, MT, then at Red Rocks! Both concerts were an absolute dream! Caamp brought that vibe that just pulls you in….and as the music started flowing and Taylor’s raspy voice hit the atmosphere , it was all transformed into something majestic. 🩷
This summer I saw Caamp at both the “Under the Big Sky” Festival in White Fish, MT, then at Red Rocks! Both concerts were an absolute dream! Caamp brought that vibe that just pulls you in….and as the music started flowing and Taylor’s raspy voice hit the atmosphere , it was all transformed into something majestic. 🩷
I’ll start off by saying I have loved Caamp for years, and have seen them live 2 times before this and have had amazing experiences. Once was even in the pouring rain at Thompson’s Point, and they were still incredible. They engaged with the crowd, played a great set list, and seemed genuinely grateful to be there. This concert was a completely different experience. The concert started on a bad note when they told the crowd to stop chanting or they’d “trash the set list”. The proceeded to put on a mediocre show, playing a strange mix of songs, barely putting any life into it. The sound was awful-the base was so high, you could not hear the vocals. They just seemed so uninterested in being there. They played for only a hour an 20 minutes and the show ended with then abruptly walking off stage-no thank you to the sold out crowd for showing up, no thank you to their loyal fans, nothing at all. Everyone was so confused, we didn’t even realize the show was over. Overall very disappointed, wish I could get my money back for the tickets that were more expensive than in previous years.
I was basically the first to arrive, 4 hours before doors. I got to meet Evan Westfall and get a selfie with him because he was walking up the mall in Charlottesville looking for Taylor who was already out somewhere up the street from me. The concert was amazing, my first Caamp concert. I was on the rail right up front. After they finished, Evan got the security guard to give me the pick he was playing with. It was a very special concert for me. I had also been waiting over a year for them to be close enough to me, to go see them live. They didn't disappoint.
The Caamp songs were good, but there was little concert magic. They played like a band covering Caamp’s songs. Nice night out in a relaxed environment, but the band gave an average performance.
I saw these guys last year and had a great time. This year less so, the set was short, the songs they played were less well known and that venue (thompsons point) keeps the volume low, probably due to a noise ordinance or something. So overall a nice night out but for $60+ per ticket plus $40 to park they could have played longer and louder
I love Caamp’s music. I started listening to them in 2020 and had been waiting for them to come to Charlottesville. The music was okay, but I might as well have been listening to an album. There was zero interaction with the crowd. No hello, nothing between songs, nothing. You could hardly see the band, because lights were pointed towards the crowd. It felt like the band took the stage with disdain for the audience and nothing changed over the course of the first hour. I have never left a concert before and never thought I would, especially when a band I love is playing. I headed home early and never looked back. It does appear the band canceled rest of the 2023 tour due to health issues. I wish them the best in getting back to 100% and hope they find joy in performing down the road. Caamp fans pay hard earned money to see them play and deserve better. I hope to give the next one 5 stars.
Incredibly disappointing, all the anticipation and build up of having these tickets for a while only to have the shortest sloppiest performance put on.
Love Caamp’s music, I’m fact it’s my go to. This concert sucked. I could tell they were enjoying themselves on stage, but the show was so quiet, the sound system in my RAV4 could have given me a better listening experience. Not sure if there’s a sound ordinance in Portland for Sunday night concerts, but what a bummer either way. I was very disappointed that night.
First time seeing Caamp. Felt like it was a waste. They only played for one hour and the songs they did play were rushed and without feeling. This was my first bad concert since the 90s so I definitely have been taking great performances for granted. Wasn’t worth the money and effort to get there at all. Too bad
