Ben Caplan never claimed to be big in the mainstream sense. This show wasn’t in one of Brighton’s large venues – although perhaps it could have been: the fact that Caplan can fill out the Green Door Store on a Sunday night, and at the beginning of January when everyone’s skint, speaks volumes about the dedication of those who do follow him.
The Casual Smokers welcomed him to the stage, playing a bouncy and energetic opening number, as Ben leapt up and dived straight into it. His sharp silver suit clashed wonderfully with his distinctive bramble-patch beard as he began the set playing guitar, backed by drums, an upright bass and melodika. The band were crammed onto the stage, but jumped and jived in the little space they had. Caplan’s manner was easy and confident. He’s stated in the past his attachment to Brighton, and for once it was believable to hear a musician call the site of his concert his favourite place: as he quipped to the crowd, “I sure didn’t say that to Southampton when I played there last night, I can tell you.”
Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers play a unique brand of Canadian folk with a lilt of gypsy-swing, usually upbeat and rhythmic, but occasionally dirgelike and in some way heartbreaking. Caplan adapted his almost overly gruff tone to each style, and at times allowed an accented twang to come into his voice that’s reminiscent of Russian folk music. The feel of the set was very varied and diverse, a balanced mixture of the ordinary and the strange: in general the song structures were unchallenging, comfortable and enjoyable, sticking to the lines of traditional folk, but on occasion a song would catch you by surprise as it twisted and turned into unfamiliar territory.
Over the course of the set Caplan would move on from guitar to melodika, and finally to keys. Both he and his band are clearly very capable musicians, and were introduced one by one to rippling applause. They followed to a note throughout the straightforward parts of the set, but also stayed tight in the numerous chaotic breakdowns that Caplan led. At times, Caplan seemed almost as unhinged as these breakdowns when he addressed the audience, violently urging them to get involved.
Much of the impact of their set relied on contrast. In particular Taryn Kawaya’s smooth vocals were a perfect counterpoint to Caplan’s rasp, and she instrument-hopped almost as much as he did, beginning on melodika and transitioning to keys. One of the high-points of the concert was her duet on keys with Caplan at the end. It was strangely powerful to hear this song begin clean and descend into a frankly monstrous cacophony. Even more so because it followed Caplan’s only solo performance of the concert, a slow and moving piano piece that allowed Caplan’s rich voice to shine.
Their music is refreshing in that it can be enjoyed effortlessly: in pure musical terms it’s a pleasure to listen to, but what’s more with a little extra engagement the experience is more diverse, unusual and challenging. The band have tremendous charisma, too, so are very fun to watch. Caplan will surely be back in Brighton soon, so put the band on your list if you want to stray off the beaten track.
Ben Noble
Photo by Alice Coles
Website: bencaplan.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/bencaplanmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/bencaplanmusic