In late March, Florida-based rock band Capstan embarked on their biggest tour of their career, “The Cult Tour”, stopping in cities all across the US. To honor such a massive milestone, Capstan dedicated this tour to the band’s history, playing songs across their entire discography. Currently nearing the end of the tour, Capstan have been hitting their east coast dates, and on April 18, they visited Philadelphia’s Brooklyn Bowl. That night, fans had the time of their lives as the band performed a 15 track setlist that included both new songs and deep cuts that date all the way back to the band’s debut in 2015. The band was even joined by a surprise guest native to Philly, making it an extra special date of the tour where one just had to be there to experience for themselves.
A few minutes after 7pm, which is half an hour before the show was said to start, the stage lights began to dim, much to the crowd’s surprise. California-based hardcore band Throat walked onto the stage, with vocalist Jimmy Snyder wearing a tank top with the words “Go Birds! World fucking champs” written in Sharpie on the back, commemorating the Philadelphia Eagles’ recent Super Bowl win. Despite the early start time, the crowd was easily immersed in the band’s heavy riffs and intense breakdowns. For the third song of their four-song setlist, the band brought out Capstan’s Anthony DeMario as a guest vocalist, with Jimmy mentioning their long-lasting friendship and multiple collaborations. After the song, Jimmy mentioned how he is a Philly native and how much he loves the city, mentioning that he eats cheesesteaks and Tastykakes and always carries his hometown in his heart. Of course, he also gave a shoutout to the Eagles and the entire crowd started an Eagles chant. Even with the early start time and a short four-song setlist, the Philly crowd was quickly won over by Throat, from the band’s intense sound to the vocalist’s passion for the city.
THROAT: Instagram
At 7:30, Florida metalcore band Not Enough Space took the stage. With only a few singles and an EP released, the band has been making waves since their debut in 2021, becoming one of the fastest growing bands in the metal scene. Duel vocalists Lizzie Raatma and Liv Mitchell showcased their versatile talent, both ranging from melodic singing to brutal screams with ease. They performed several of their newest singles, such as their most recent single “Devil Left Me on Read”, which is the band’s heaviest song to date. A very deathcore-inspired track, the band delivered a thunderous breakdown complemented by Liv’s vicious screams. Despite being one of the first openers of the night, the crowd was bursting with energy and singing along to almost every song of the set, which is a rare occurrence for an opening act. The band closed with their 2023 hit “No Way Out”, and for the final breakdown, Liv went up to the barricade to scream along with the crowd as they sang every word. Not Enough Space’s performance rejuvenated every fan in the crowd, whether they just discovered the band or are longtime fans, and is further proof of their meteoric rise in the metal scene.
NOT ENOUGH SPACE: Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok
The third opening act of the night was alternative rock band True North. Much like Capstan, the band takes inspiration from several genres. True North combines elements from pop punk, metal, and other subgenres of rock to create a unique musical experience. From catchy choruses to heavy breakdowns, True North put on an energetic performance that captivated the crowd. As a surprise, they even brought back Jimmy Snyder from Throat to provide guest vocals for one song. The band mentioned that this tour comes shortly before the release of their newest album, Either Way, The Sun’s Exploding, which is set to release on May 30, and they performed several singles from the upcoming record. They also mentioned that this was their first-ever show in Philly, and thanked the Philly crowd for making their first show in the city such a special one.
TRUE NORTH: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X
The fourth and final opener was Colorblind, an upcoming alternative rock band. Much like the rest of the tour lineup, Colorblind is also a genre-blending group. A self-described “dreamcore” band, Colorblind combines melodic choruses with metalcore techniques, with a sprinkle of pop and hip hop elements as well. Vocalist Travis Moseley would quickly switch from ethereal singing to powerful screaming as the band provided catchy riffs and intense breakdowns. Despite only having released a few singles and EPs so far, the crowd was fully immersed in their performance, singing along to the lyrics and jumping along to the rhythms. The band performed their newest single “Car Crash”, which sets the stage for their first full-length album. Colorblind closed with the single “Way Out”, a song dedicated to cutting toxic people off; in honor of the song’s message, Travis told the crowd to put their middle fingers in the air, and the whole room followed. With how engaged the fans were during the performance, it’s no wonder why Colorblind is becoming one of the fastest growing acts in the rock scene.
COLORBLIND: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
At around 9:45pm, the room went dark, and the crowd erupted with cheers. Capstan walked onto the stage wearing red robes and holding candles, and gathered in a circle in the middle of the stage as a robotic voiceover played. Capstan certainly lived up to the name of the tour, “The Cult Tour”, with this introduction. Once the voiceover finished, the lights turned on and the band removed their robes, revealing pure white outfits. They quickly transitioned into the song “Misery Scene”, one of the tracks from their most recent album The Mosaic, and from this point on, the energy throughout the room will only get crazier. In fact, people already started crowdsurfing during the third song, “We’ll Always Have Paris” from their 2019 debut studio album Restless Heart, Keep Running.
With inspiration from genres like post-hardcore, prog rock, and metalcore, no two songs from Capstan sound alike, keeping fans fully engaged throughout the show. By the fourth song, a mosh pit could be seen even from the far sides of the venue. Frontman Anthony DeMario captivated the crowd with his versatile vocals, and bassist Andrew Bozymowski and guitarist Joseph Mabry would provide powerful lead vocals as well on top of delivering exciting instrumentals. Guitarist Harrison Bormann would deliver catchy riffs and drummer Scott Fisher tied the performance together with upbeat rhythms. In between songs, Joseph told the fans that Philadelphia is always one of their favorite cities to play, feeling that it’s a home away from home, and Andrew mentioned “Go birds”. In response, the crowd began yet another Eagles chant. After this moment of Philly pride, Joseph told the fans that they were about to play their “heaviest song” and expected the crowd to go crazy for it. The band then began playing “Moloch”, a heavy, hard-hitting track that calls out the corruption of police. At the end of the song, Not Enough Space’s Liv and Lizzie walked onto the stage to provide brutal guest vocals for the final breakdown, and promptly jumped into the crowd to crowdsurf.
After a very hardcore-inspired track, Capstan slowed things down and played some fan-favorite acoustic songs, starting with 2019’s “Hideaway”. This segment of the show was full of deep cuts, with the band performing several tracks from the very beginning of their career. They played “Bury Your Bones” and “Reprieve” from their 2015 EP, Parting Gifts, and “Can’t.Lie.Around.Remembering.Everything” from their very first album release in 2015, Seasonal Depression. Despite the music quieting down, the fans were just as enthusiastic as they were during the heavier songs, clearly excited to see these tracks finally performed live, and the room was consistently lit up by waving phone flashlights and lighters. The band then went back into performing some of their heavier songs, and the energy within the venue was higher than ever, with tons of crowdsurfers coming through the room. Towards the end of the set, Anthony introduced Jimmy Snyder from Throat, and they performed a duet for the song “Final Words”. Before the final two songs of the night, bassist Andrew thanked Philly for their support and passion for music, and how it’s the main reason why the band is up on that stage. The band went into their final two songs, “Wax Poetic” and “Stars Before the Sun”, and the fans made sure to give it their all as the night came to a close. Crowdsurfers were lifted through the room one by one, which marked the most crowdsurfers of the night by far. Once the song ended, the voiceover from the beginning of the set played again, officially concluding the show. Capstan’s constant energy and the fans’ enthusiasm helped make the band’s show at Brooklyn Bowl a valuable memory for everyone in the room that night.
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