Caspian - The Sinclair Cambridge MA December 30, 2022

 

12th Annual Last Night on Earth.

Caspian
support: Junius, Som and The Burning Paris
The Sinclair, Cambridge MA
Friday December 30, 2022

12 Annual with a few gaps in between might not have looked as good on the marquee or the poster, but we shall explain.

Caspian has/had been a part of a show (sometimes headlining, sometimes not) to say goodbye to the year.  It became a great tradition, often having special moments to make it all worthwhile.

In the late fall the band announced via twitter something along the lines of "What do you think about bringing it back".  Of course, fans were elated and of course it came together.

One of my favorite things about seeing Caspian live is how I've come to know more and more people.  Connecting with them online and of course at shows.  By the time the band hit the stage Friday night there were 17 of us that had all greeted one another with hi-fives and hugs and howareya's.  It’s like a class reunion meets a birthday meets a live show experience.

I/we arrived in waves and honestly spent much of the early parts of the evening in the lobby of the venue.  Having a drink, a laugh, checking out the merch.  As Junius wrapped up many of us made our way to "the spot".  I am taller, I am aware of it, so I like to be close, but off to the side some.  Sinclair has that spot just for me.

Taking the stage about 10:30 the band began with a sit down version of Nagoya.  It was a slow build with Jani (bass) not even on the stage until the later parts. Rioseco followed.  A song the band seems to play fairly often, again it’s a quieter, mellower tune than one might expect from Caspian, but no less beautiful.

Then it began.

Arcs of Command followed.  This is an absolute live banger.  They should never ever pull this from their set.  It’s a song they could open with or close with.  It just is that solid and to me it shows what the band is capable of. Cal, Jonny and Jani flail around the stage and Phil compliments that right in the middle.  It’s some of the most chaotic few minutes of your  life.  Collapser followed and the first bust out was Moksha got dusted off (after many years) and that was met with a thunderous ovation at the start AND end.

Gone in Bloom and Bough is always a mixed bag for me personally.  I like the song but it always takes me, for some reason, to "get there" with the band. The last few times I've seen them perform this they've had a local sax player, John Aruda, play with them.  The layer he adds is just off the chart.  We are getting spoiled.

Halls of the Summer and then another not so common "Ghosts of the Garden City".  Heck, we got the glockenspiel twice in one night!

The evening ended with much celebration and the always epic "Castles High, Marble Bright".  A song that fits EVERY single mood for me.  It’s an amazing song, amazing closer.

The band waived, said their thank you's and off they went.  It will be some time I bet as the cycle for the last album "On Circles" celebrates its three year anniversary already,  Hopefully the band takes some time, and perhaps later in the year gets together for some writing and recoding.

Full set:

Nagoya
Rioseco
Arcs of Command
Collapser
Moksha
Gone in Bloom and Bough (John Aruda on tenor sax)
Halls of the Summer
Ghosts of the Garden City
Castles High, Marble Bright

Band took the stage about 1035 and went off about 12:05 (no encore per the norm)