Circa Survive: Juturna 10th Anniversary Tour

Circa Survive w/ RX Bandits, Citizen
Showbox, Seattle, WA
11.08.15

“The look on your faces as you come tumbling over the barricade and into another grown man’s arms,” Anthony Green observed of the multitudes of fans crowd surfing toward the stage, “is like the first time your mother held you, so safe.” For their sold out show at Seattle’s Showbox, Circa Survive had the crowd in the palm of their post-hardcore hands from the moment they stepped on stage, which was exactly when the crowd surfing started. On tour celebrating the tenth anniversary of their 2005 debut album Juturna, the band was the epitome of on point.

They played their notable album, in its entirety, each emotionally heavy song building on the one before, the energy palpable in the room, the band clearly relishing in their delivery. Their stage set up was dark, heavy with smoke machines, towers of spinning lights, practically blinding, silhouetting the band from behind. Green delivered his vocals with characteristic attack, stalking the stage and leaning out over the crowd, practically scooping them up in his arms. During “Act Appalled” he held the mic out to one audience member to provide a vocal assist, and several other times allowed the crowd to sing choruses for him, which they clearly knew all the words to.

This was the kind of sold out show where the Showbox bar crowd was actually pretty sparse, everyone wanting their spot on the floor, as the mosh pit spat out happy youth and sweaty 30-somethings alike. Like a conductor, Green led the band through their masterful playing, while he stuck the mic in his mouth, looking like a magical cross between Faith No More’s Mike Patton and Thrice’s Dustin Kensrue. At one point, someone backstage unleashed a swarm of glow-stick-lit balloons – or were they beach balls – over the crowd, adding an even more celebratory effect to the room.

Considering that they’ve released four other albums, each growing with expertise and emotional power, CS’s delivery of their debut was unsurprisingly better than it probably was 10 years ago, the payoff being that they seem to really still enjoy playing it to a crowd clearly appreciative.

Openers RX Bandits and Citizen were an interesting mix to the night. RX Bandits’ sound is some kind of reggae-punk mashup that apparently falls into the netherworld of ska… a word I honestly hadn’t heard in a while. Labels are labels, and the crowd seemed polite, but the mood felt a bit off for being stuck between two heavier, scream-laden groups. Citizen’s brand of pop-punk had the crowd in the air from the get-go, impressive for an opening slot on a Monday night.

The shows are selling out, so if you want to catch Circa Survive on the commemorative track, get your tickets fast.

Circa Survive Set List
Holding Someone’s Hair Back
Act Appalled
Wish Resign
The Glorious Nosebleed
In Fear and Faith
The Great Golden Baby
Stop the Fuckin’ Car
We’re All Thieves
Oh, Hello
Always Getting What You Want
Meet Me in Montauk
Encore
Suspending Disbelief
Handshakes at Sunrise
House of Leaves