The Band CAMINO Concert @ Legends

The Band CAMINO performed at Legends Thurday, Jan. 17, marking their first concert in two months, and serving as a warmup performance to prepare them for their tour that starts Friday, Jan. 25. This concert was also the foursome’s first time in South Bend. I was able to interview the band before the show.

“We got a nice email and we were asked to play here and we were honored,” frontman Spencer Stewart said. “We had to come up and see what it’s all about.”

Originally hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, The Band CAMINO’s name comes from the Spanish word “camino,” which means path. Furthermore, they were inspired to choose this name due to the El Camino car. Frontmen Stewart and Jeffery Jordan alternated between guitar, keyboard and vocals during the show, while band members Graham Rowell and Garrison Burgess played the bass and drums, respectively.

“I feel like we’re at the stage in our career where it’s like every three months there’s a new milestone of ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we’re doing that,’” Rowell said.

During their 45-day tour, The Band CAMINO will play at other college venues. They also have plans to play at some festivals like Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama, this summer.

Burgess started the show off in style with swift drumbeats and no warning. The other three band members eventually joined in to collectively open with “Something to Hold Onto,” a new song that has not been released yet.

“I’m pretty introverted usually, but [performing]’s like the one time that I’m completely and totally myself and also fully in control of myself,” Rowell said. “There’s a little bit of nerves when you start, but once the music starts you’re very in the moment.”

Stewart segued into “For a While,” maintaining the electric energy that the quartet brought to the stage at the beginning. Jordan took over to sing “Less Than I Do,” bringing the tempo down a few paces.

“[Performing is] one of the only times you really get to be in the moment in your entire life,” Stewart said. “I feel like, as humans, we’re looking towards the past or looking towards the future, and you don’t really get to enjoy what you’re doing.”

Stewart took a turn on the mic with “Berenstein,” followed by Jordan’s vocals on “Fool of Myself.” After Stewart returned with “Know Me,” the quartet played another new single, “The Internet,” which flowed into “I Spend Too Much Time in My Room.”

“The connection between the [band and audience] is a moment that doesn’t really happen too often in the world, so it’s cool that that’s what we get to do for a living,” Stewart said.

The energy level rose again as the opening synth notes and supporting guitar plucking of “2/14” drifted into the room. The pounding percussion, synchronized with flickering strobe lights and grinding guitar chords of “Free of Charge” preceded “California.” The slower ballad, “Black and White,” followed these two faster songs.

“It’s a part of you,” Burgess said. “That’s one of my favorite things about songwriting with these guys. It’s the collaboration.”

“My Thoughts on You” and “What I Want” built up the energy for the final song of the set: “Daphne Blue.”

“I like ‘Daphne Blue,’” Rowell said. “It makes me feel like we’re in a real rock band.”

The Band CAMINO definitely rocked the Legends stage as they put every last shred of enduring energy they had into the finale.