Circa Survive
Amos' Southend
Dec. 12, 2014

An eclectic mix of concert goers filled Amos' Southend to the rafters Dec. 12 to see Circa Survive's headlining tour for the band's newest release, Descensus.

Eclectic is the only way to sum up the kind of audience the five-piece attracts - there was no shortage of the stereotypical emo kid, but neither was it rare to see a hipster rocking the man bun, the guy rocking the beanie and flannel or the girl dressed like a fifties cartoon character either. Circa Survive definitely brings people together for one reason: they play a rocking live show.

The Philadelphia-based rock band from Philadelphia got together in 2004 and released its debut, Juturna, through Equal Vision Records in 2005. They became popular via the Vans Warped Tour and even landed a spot at Coachella in 2007, cementing their place in the scene.

They’ve bounced around record labels, to say the least. The band parted with Equal Vision Records and signed with Atlantic Records in 2010. After releasing their third album, Blue Sky Noise, Circa Survive left Atlantic, released their fourth album, Violent Waves, independently and ended up signing with Sumerian Records. Despite the label roulette, the band has still managed to keep its devoted fans happy and following its every move, like with its latest Sumerian release, Descensus.

And their fans? They are definitely committed: for the past 10 years this crowd has been with the band and the fanbase has only grown with each album release as Circa Survive's mixture of commercial and experimental rock has grown into a finely tuned machine.

Singer Anthony Green (formerly of Saosin) has the ability as a vocalist to hit notes only comparable to that of Coheed and Cambria's leading man (and hard as it is to believe, Green actually manages to one up that signature high-pitched singing).

Throughout the hour-and-a-half show Green was pitch-perfect during some of the group's most challenging songs, all while raging around the stage like a madman and bringing the crowd to their knees as he barked out call-and-responses to them. And while the whole group is made of solid musicians, guitarist Colin Frangicetto is able to put his talents on display during the live shows, especially with newer material from Descensus showcasing his technical work.

Circa Survive has a huge catalog of songs to choose from as they hit their 10-year mark as a band but the band played a nice mixture of the old favorites while peppering in the new (and the different) from Descensus.

Even if Circa Survive isn't your style of music, seeing them live you wouldn't be able to deny that they rock at what they do. Their fans screamed the words with them and moved in waves as if Green was conducting them. Add in the psychedelic light effects being projected onto the stage and the result is hypnotic. Circa Survive has stuck around for a reason. The band is truly a sight to behold.

Setlist
Through the Desert Alone
Strange Terrain
Sharp Practice
Semi-Constructive Criticism
Schema
Glass Arrows
Fever Dreams
The Greatest Lie
Suitcase
Kicking your Crosses Down
In Fear and Faith
Stop the Fuckin' Car
Only the Sun
Frozen Creek
The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is in the Dose
Child of the Desert

Encore
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