CAAMP at House of Blues - December 4, 2021
Three hours before CAAMP hit the stage, I walked the entirety of Landsdowne street, lined with eager concertgoers, all the way down to the House of Blues. The HoB has been one of my favorite Boston venues since my first trip inside at age 15, and it was amazing to be back there surrounded by a crowd getting more excited by the minute.
In 2013, Ohio natives Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall formed the band CAAMP and later welcomed Matt Vinson as a third member. They released their first self-titled album in 2016, then Boys (both Side A and Side B) in 2018, and By and By in 2019. The band has released three singles since By and By, but there is no news yet of their next album. Whenever that album comes, however, I know there will be at least 2500 eager fans listening in Boston.
CAAMP’s music can be described as modern folk with classic rock elements, but I think their band name provides the best description possible - I was struck by how, even in a sea of people singing along, I often felt like I was listening to a couple of friends jamming around a campfire. Many of the times I’ve felt like music is the most beautiful thing in the world have been around campfires, singing with friends as the sun sets on a summer night; I’m still in disbelief that I felt that same feeling on a cold December night surrounded by strangers. The audience, a group of complete strangers, was locked in the entire night, like a sea of swaying flannels that never got tired.
Meier, Westfall, and Vinson played a varied setlist, pulling songs from all of their albums and closing with a more recent single. My personal favorites seemed to align very well with the crowd's favorites, also coming from a variety of CAAMP’s albums. “Vagabond” from Caamp had the entire crowd energized, “26” from Boys (Side A) had me in a trance wishing to be in love, and “Peach Fuzz” from By and By combined those two feelings seamlessly. No matter what song was playing, watching the instruments on stage change from guitars to a banjo to an upright bass was incredibly, well, ca(a)mpy and nostalgic - both good words for the entire show.
