On June 6th, the Salt Shed in Chicago hosted Caamp for the second night in a row. The former Morton Salt Factory is now home to arguably the best music venue in Chicago. They have creatively turned the space into both an outdoor fairground and an indoor music venue.
What they are doing at the Salt Shed is no short of brilliant, opening their doors to local vendors, events, and just about every band touring this summer. If you are on tour, the Salt Shed in Chicago should be number one on everyone’s wish list. The outdoor experience during the summer time in Chicago with the skyline behind the stage is unparalleled and something that pairs even better with Caamp’s vibrant folk music straight from Ohio. Caamp, in recent years, took a break from touring, but the group is back and better than ever.
The first opener was Gardener, another folk band with a similar vibe to Caamp. Also hailing from Ohio, Gardener is the exact right group to open for Caamp. They have a similar look and sound and embody that Ohio Rust Belt rock. The second opener for Caamp was Blind Pilot. Now, I hadn’t heard of either of these bands prior to the show, but this is why it’s important to go support the whole bill.
As a strong supporter of Caamp, I have found two other bands to follow along with here. Blind Pilot is a very fun Pacific Northwest folk band that delivered an energetic set as the sun began to set on the City of Chicago. While both of these bands were playing, three members from Caamp went into the crowd to hang out and support their opening bands. It was a tremendous sign of character from the group to go out and support the rest of their bill.
On the day of the show, Caamp dropped their fourth studio album, Copper Changes Color. The last studio album they released was Lavender Days in 2022, home to “Lavender Girl,” one of the band’s most popular songs on Spotify. They had already dropped a few singles from this most recent album, but the whole thing arrived on the day of this concert. They came out to the live debut of “Millions,” the first track on Copper Changes Color, which quickly became a new fan favorite.
Despite the album dropping that day, they only played three songs from Copper Changes Color. Their 19-track setlist featured songs from their entire discography, dating back to their first studio album in 2016. It’s hard to pick a favorite song of theirs in general, but from this set, it’s hard to compare anything to a live version of “26.” I also think that song encapsulates how a Chicago summer feels.
The Salt shed runs up against the Chicago River, and when you’re at the outdoor fairground, you can see the river running to the left of the stage. It just adds a little touch to the atmosphere when you’re picturing the imagery of Ohio’s rivers painted in Caamp’s lyrics.
At the end of their set Caamp brought out both of their openers, Gardner and Blind Pilot, to sing “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. What is rooted in old school Ohio folk music, Caamp brings a modern twist to a historic genre. For me, there are not a lot of bands out there like Caamp right now—and they are truly something special.
BLIND PILOT
GARDENER
