Cayucas played a sold out show at Great Scott on their way to Governor’s Ball in New York. Their sun-bleached tunes were a welcome to Boston’s balmy summer months. Before we could sing along to the infectious melodies of Cayucas, diagnosis Camden and PAPA opened up.
Camden, stomach local Bostonians, entered to a reverb-laden guitar loop; a stark difference from their songs that they would actually perform. Their pop-punk and garage rock sound was reminiscent of big names like The Strokes and smaller acts like Cloud Nothings. With breakneck tempos, power chords, and some solid bass lines, my 14-year-old self would have been all about this. Angsty vocals with pop-punk’s trademark harmonies would fit right into a generic 90s teen movie. The three band members, Jim Williamson, Jason Sibilia, and Timmy Miles crafted fun, loud songs that, while not groundbreaking, were more than enjoyable and got the timid crowd moving.
Where Camden may have lacked, PAPA was a shining example of what a live performance can be. My original perceptions of the band were shattered when they started playing. Their set-up with drums placed front and center confused me, until the drummer started singing. Also, two of them were wearing Top Gun-style flight suits, which baffled me and also made me want to buy one. Clearly the band was having a ton of fun and the audience picked up of their high energy. Their brand of non-synth indie dance music with disco and funk influenced drum-and-bass was extremely danceable. The heavy bass and percussion directed the songs while shimmering organs and guitar filled in the gaps to round out the sound. The set crescendoed like a rollercoaster or how a crazy night will descend into insanity. By their closing song, the audience crowded the front and jostled to receive high-fives from the band.
After hugely crowd-pleasing performance by PAPA, I was not sure how Cayucas could top that. Luckily, I was proven wrong. I was fortunate enough to see Cayucas last winter and their west coast beach vibes didn’t fit the freezing temperatures, but this time they were greeted by one of our first real summer days. Their record is perfect for chilling out and driving with the windows down and their live versions kicked those songs up several notches. Heavy drums and distorted guitars livened up their acoustic feel. The were able to get the crowd singing along with their quickly learned infectious melodies that were still stuck in my head days later.
Cayucas consists of twin brothers, Zach and Ben Yudin, and Casey Wojtalewicz from Santa Monica, CA. I feel bad for those who may have indulged before the concert; even I was a little confused when seeing two of the same guy on stage before remembering that identical twins are a thing. Cayucas is a lot more than that band featured in a Bose commercial. They are following in the steps of surfer rock groups and even show some Vampire Weekend tendencies, but still manage to add their own unique style too.
Leaving Great Scott, while noticeably sweatier than when I arrived, the bands were simply a lot of fun and I left full of good vibes. While writing this, I listened to all three bands studio recordings and was impressed by how well they translated into live shows and could kick up their songs to fit the immediacy and energy of live performances.
