Show Review

Caspian Date: March 8th 2007 Venue: TT The Bear's (Cambridge, MA) Any local concert-goer will tell you that one of the best surprises to experience at a show is when an opening band really steps up and blows everyone away. Openers are typically known for being unknown groups with poor playing skills that hold a relatively tiny audience. Oftentimes, they're regarded as just an obstacle in the way of seeing the “real” band, and as a result usually go unnoticed. It's precisely because of that reputation that makes it so exciting when a group is able to smash it to pieces. Caspian’s performance in Cambridge last week was a shining example of one such case, and “blown away” would be a vast understatement to describe the experience of witnessing it. Just in time for the show to begin, the band mates made their way one-by-one onto the tiny stage of TT The Bear’s Place. While their equipment is rather small, the pedal boards that adorn the stage hold enough hardware to resemble something more fit for a space-station than a concert hall. Without noticing this, you could definitely be fooled by their small amps into thinking that Caspian are a modest band. As I overheard one of the guitarists tell a fan before the show: “We’re really, really loud.” And he wasn’t kidding around, either. The first guitar breaks the silence, grinding out massive, resonating tones that shook the floor. I’m at a loss of words to even describe this sound, but it was somewhere between brutal distortion and ambient bliss. These sounds saturate the entire room, turning the head of every spectator as the rest of the instruments begin to pickup and the show begins. From that point on, Caspian bleed out song after song of instrumental beauty and never once let down their guard. The band pleased the crowd by playing numerous songs from their upcoming album, The Four Trees, all of which proved to be nothing less than amazing. The new songs added a great level of diversity to their performance, as some of them were much heavier and rock-oriented than the band’s first EP, You Are the Conductor, which was gentler and more “post-rock” sounding. This heavier, more rock-like sound was undoubtedly well received by the crowd, many of whom rejoiced in crazy fits of head-banging and fist pumping throughout the performance. As if the band hadn’t already accomplished enough for one night, Caspian completely stole the show at the end of their last song. As the guitars faded out, the drummer maintained a bold, groovy beat as both guitarists laid down their instruments, picked up drum sticks and joined him! A triple-drummer percussion jam? When was the last time you saw one of those? Probably never. At any rate, this impressive spectacle ended in a unanimous uproar of applause that sealed the fate of Caspian’s performance as nothing less than legendary. A few days later, as I sit here with my ears still ringing and my face still melted off from the performance I witnessed, I can’t help but ponder the same question: Isn’t it about time these guys got some real recognition? To date, Caspian have been a growing act in Boston’s underground scene, but their capabilities are clearly equivalent to any headlining band. Caspian should not be opening shows, they should closing them, and I don’t think anyone should be satisfied until we see them touring the world. PHOTOS Author: Sean Butze Photography: Jim Pearse, Sean Butze [ Back to Shows Index ]