The Band CAMINO
Article by Brittany Ormiston
Whistling began to reverberate through the speakers, silencing the crowd. The high-pitched intro was similar to a western movie when a cowboy rides through the desert on his horse. The stage lit up in an array of colors accompanied by drifting fog to create a chilling effect. All of the band members appeared on stage as the crowd’s energy soared through the roof. Welcome to The Tour CAMINO. “Somebody told me that you found somebody new and you're happy,” sang Jeffery Jordan (vocals, guitar) while standing on the platform and peering into the souls of the front row. This level of interaction is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to The Band CAMINO’s stage presence during live performances.
During ‘Roses,’ fans threw roses on the stage continuing the tradition for every The Band CAMINO show this tour. Jeffery quickly picked up one of the roses, and waved it side-to-side as he bounced on his feet to encourage the crowd to sway with him. He thoroughly enjoyed pointing to someone specific while belting out lyrics of several tracks, and the exhilaration was written all over his face every time. “You know I never meant to do you like that,” smiled Jeffery during ‘Never A Good Time,’ The Band CAMINO’s first collaboration. Spencer Stewart (vocals, guitar) is known for his smooth, dreamy vocals and jaw-dropping guitar solos. His soulful eye contact with those in the crowd is vastly underrated, and captivates the attention of each individual without fail. Spencer paid close attention to the crowd, and came close to the barricade to give a few guitar picks to concert goers having the absolute time of their lives.
Besides engagement with the crowd, The Band CAMINO’s ability to be immersed in the music and live performance while being authentically themselves is truly one of a kind. While shredding the guitar solos of ‘What I Want,’ Jeffery and Spencer placed their foreheads on each other’s shoulders and pretended to push each other like brothers would do. To add to the craziness, Spencer jump-spun off the platform which shocked members of the crowd. Jeffery showed off his signature move of shuffling on the platform during ‘See Through’ as the crowd screamed “standing in the middle of the street somehow” as loud as they possibly could. The quirky, fun personalities of the band continued to shine through as they acted out the lyrics as they sang them. Spencer held up his middle fingers, added a few shoulder shrugs, and strutted across the stage like he owned it during ‘I Think I Like You.’ This track in particular is a fan-favorite all across the board, and it currently sits as #18 on Hot AC Radio.
The Band CAMINO’s unique engagement and energy in turn created an environment for the fans to be 100% themselves without judgment. Whether you were clutching the barricade or freely dancing in the very back of the venue, making a fool of yourself was definitely an option. The most heartwarming view was seeing groups of people holding onto each other, swaying, and singing with such fierce emotion and glistening eyes. The room was certainly bursting with happiness, and mixed with a little sadness halfway through the show. The songs about heartbreak were an important addition to the setlist in order to “get the sadness out” according to Jeffery. Regardless if the crowd was showing off their dance moves or crying uncontrollably, The Band CAMINO’s live performance was an out-of-body experience filled with endless serotonin.
The lighting synced with the instrumentals was epic and took you to a whole other world. The intensity of the drum loops was powerful and mind-blowing to say the least. Garrison Burgess (drums) showed off his talents, especially during ‘Haunted,’ as the drums were incredibly prominent and fast-paced. The crowd’s energy was electric, and made for one of the best tracks of the night. At a few points throughout the show, Garrison was the only one lit up by the spotlight to emphasize the instrumentals even further. From start to finish, the vocals were effortless and so beautifully executed. Spencer’s wide vocal range and Jeffery’s smooth yet raspy vocals were the perfect combination. Their harmonies made them completely unstoppable, and had the crowd in awe and weak in the knees.
Every show on tour is special in its own way, but this night in particular was note-worthy because it was The Band CAMINO’s first headlining show in the Cincinnati area. There were 1,000 people in attendance, and the band was taken back by it all. Jeffery’s sentimental speech had the crowd reminiscing about how far The Band CAMINO has come over the years. He made sure to highlight how important it is to remain yourself through life’s changes from enduring pain to living your dreams. As the band members stepped up on the platform to take their final bow, the cheers of the crowd left everyone’s ears ringing. The Band CAMINO is truly one of the greatest live bands to date, and supporting their journey will never be just a phase.
PromoWest Pavilion at Ovation in Newport, KY on June 8, 2022
Photos by Everly Ormiston
