By and By: Caamp Sets up at Surly Festival Field

Indie folk rockers Caamp warmed up a breezy evening at Surly Festival Field with a setlist that featured new songs, collaborations with openers, and some pleasant surprises.

Despite a temperature around 60 degrees, frequent clouds, and a persistent wind, many concertgoers dressed in attire you would expect at a summer festival. Many women wore print dresses with either western boots or sandals. Men were seen in shorts and t-shirts. At the same time, fall jackets, hats, and even gloves were visible on some people. This likely led to the selling out of the green Caamp sweatshirt from the merchandise booth.

Yet the crowd grabbed Surly beers and food while filling in for the openers before being delighted by warm, heartfelt, and entertaining performances from all bands.

Before taking the stage, the speakers played “Never Again” by the Minnesota band Trampled by Turtles. It was instantly identified by the majority of the crowd, evident by loud cheers which would have made you think Caamp was taking the stage. After a verse or so, lead singer Taylor Meier took the stage and proudly showed off his Trampled by Turtles shirt, all while smiling and nodding to the crowd.

And as the band took their places, they launched into a perfect opening song: “Vagabond”. With its placid yet upbeat guitar, Meier’s vocals rang across the audience in a mutual singalong. All before its crescendo of emphatic guitar that revved up the crowd even more.

Following that was “Let Things Go”, which despite being released as a single not even four months ago, you would think was a long-time favorite of fans. After taking a moment to thank the crowd, Meier (of course) made a Minnesota weather joke before “Snowshoes”.

And with that, Caamp merrily plucked away into the night with other hits like “Lavender Girl” and “Peach Fuzz”. When Meier asked if the audience knew about their new album Copper Changes Color, the majority clapped and cheered with approval. And the band went into a new track from the release, the romantic chance-taking “Mistakes”.

Yet a highlight of the evening was the songs they covered. Giving the band a break, Meier performed a stripped-down solo version of Oasis’s “Live Forever”. Afterwards, he joked about being afraid of “playing something quiet” in fear that everyone would leave a “go get a beer”. But was pleased the audience stayed. And his version was definitely worth hearing. Ironically, the following song was quieter, his solo version of Caamp’s “Strawberries”.

More unlikely a genre to cover was their version of “Walking on a Dream” by Empire of the Sun. This featured a surprise twist with Meier on drums and bassist Matt Vinson on vocals. But the biggest surprise cover was to come later. More on that in a moment.

Meier also stayed on drums for “Going to the Country” before returning to the front. And commenting how he was finally getting a bit chilly in the cool of the evening. For the set’s closing song “By and By” was another surprise, as opener Blind Pilot’s lead singer Israel Nebeker joined on vocals. And as everyone left the stage, a real treat was to come.

For an encore, all opening bands joined Caamp for a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”. It was a song born for a folk rock cover and made all the more special by everyone being on stage. Despite a brief moment when nobody was singing the beginning of the second verse, it was an unforgettable performance that showed the harmony of the bands both in friendship and in performing.

Speaking of opening bands, both were exceptionally complementary to Caamp. First was Gardener, who treated the crowd to a new song in their set and jammed out nicely in their closing. Also opening was Blind Pilot, who deployed an array of instruments across all musical styles. That included band members playing several instruments. At at times, simultaneously. It was also the band’s last night on the tour, pointed out by Meier in the encore.

In closing of the evening, Meier commented “from the sincerity of [his] heart” how wonderful it was that we were all present in a festival setting. All bands left, but Caamo returned for a second encore. And a song they “haven’t played in a long time” in “Officer of Love”.

On a night with unseasonably cool temps, the warmth of beautiful music made it worth camping out under the stars.