Caamp

The up-and-comers Caamp played an excellent 45-minute set at the Bowl last night, with infectious rhythms producing one happy dancing-in-the-seats song after another, including “Peach Fuzz” and “Officer of Love,” the two numbers that had caught my attention on radio. Unfortunately, the show had another 45 minutes to run. The band vamped for ten or so minutes while lead singer Taylor Meier took a bathroom break. (He smoked a cigarette onstage, so he didn’t need to leave for that.) Then Taylor, who had also been playing lead guitar, switched to the drums, the rhythm guitarist sang an unnecessary Neil Young cover, and the magic sound disappeared. Also disappointing: not a word was shared with the enthusiastic Santa Barbara audience. And the set, lighting and costumes were minimal, to say the least. Maybe Caamp will grow, build out their catalogue and profit from experience. Or it’s possible that these up-and-comers have come, and that’s it.