Itâs been over two years since American pop-rock act The Band CAMINO last visited The Netherlands. On December 14th, they finally returned to play a show in Haarlemâs Patronaat as part of âThe NeverAlways Tourâ in support of the album of the same name. Doors to the venueâs Stage 1 opened a little after 19:30, the queue of eager fans stretching all the way around the corner.
When inside, the audience did not have to wait long for the support act Quarters of Change (or simply Quarters, considering they recently rebranded) to hype up the crowd. Most people were still settling when the five men walked on stage with their instruments. The band consists of lead singer and guitarist Ben Roter, guitarist and bassist Jasper Harris, and drummer Attila Anrather. On stage with them for this tour were two more bassists, Mark Pogg and Taylor Morris. Right away, the band flawlessly transitioned through the songs, which flowed into one another seamlessly. In between âHeaven Boundâ and the new single âSTARâ, Roter took a moment to address the crowd. âWeâre a band from New Amsterdam, New York,â he said as the crowd cheered. There was not a lot of time for speaking, however, as the band had a full 45-minute set to play – longer than one might have expected from the support act. Although all of the alt-rock anthems played by the band were great listens, the highlights definitely appeared at the end with âKiwiâ and âPLUMMETâ. âItâs a real treat being with yâall tonight,â Roter had said before playing those final few tracks, admiring the crowded room. While no official announcement has been made yet, the band is expected to release their new album in 2026 under their new name, so stay tuned!
A mere twenty minutes after the final notes of Quartersâ music had sounded, it was time for tonightâs headliner, The Band CAMINO. A distorted voice could be heard over the speakers, telling a haunting story as the three band members took to the stage. The Band CAMINO consists of singers, guitarists, and keyboardists Jeffery Jordan and Spencer Stewart, and drummer Garrisson Burgess. Bassist Sean McHugh joined them on stage for this tour. They opened the set with âDaphne Blueâ and âInfinityâ before addressing the crowd: âHello, good evening, thank you for being here!â. Jordan stated that the band played a lot of shows this year and that they only have a few left, so they have to make every show and every song count. There was little time to say much more, as the band had âa lot of songsâ to get through tonight, so Jordan said after playing âStupid Questionsâ. And so, the band continued!
For the next few songs on the setlist, it was time to make use of the keyboard placed next to the drums. First, it was up to Jordan to play the keys as the band performed âI Think I Like Youâ and âRosesâ. Whatâs remarkable about The Band CAMINO is that there truly is no lead singer: some songs are mostly sung by Jordan, some by Stewart, but throughout the entire set, it was really well balanced. Deserved, as both singers have great voices. For â2/14â, Jordan and Stewart switched spots so that the latter could play the keys and Jordan the guitar. The keys were ditched again as soon as it was time for âSong about Youâ, with both men playing their guitars again. As stated before, the band played a lot of shows this year, but they have also released a bunch of new music. Not only did they release NeverAlways, but they also released the single âAfterthoughtâ even more recently, which, of course, they played next.
Near the middle of the setlist, the band asked the audience who had seen them before and who had not before this evening. The latter group was arguably a lot bigger, which isnât weird considering the band gained a lot of new fans since they last visited the country. âWelcome! Or welcome back,â Jordan stated, trying to tune his guitar at the same time. Unfortunately, he didnât manage to get it right, so he had to get help with that before he and Stewart could play âBereinsteinâ together – Burgess and McHugh had left the stage for this one. They did come back right after to play an acoustic version of âHates Me Yetâ before this section of the show was finished. From that moment onwards, The Band CAMINO flew through the songs, barely stopping to let anyone catch their breath. Highlights included âHeavenâ, which was released in 2017 and hasnât been on the setlist for a while (Stewart really wanted it back, and the audience seemed pleased by this decision); âNever a Good Timeâ, which was released as a collaboration with NOTD; and âTold You Soâ.
The night then moved into its finale, with Jordan thanking the fans for âletting us go crazy in front of yâall for 1,5 hoursâ. He also gave a shout-out to the crew as well as the nightâs support act. The band had âa couple more songsâ left: â1 Last Cigaretteâ, âSee Throughâ, and âWhat I Wantâ. Though the number of songs that had to be played in a relatively short amount of time left little room for the band to interact with the fans, that didnât seem to bother anyone. The fans were loudly singing along to every single one of the songs played and surely wouldnât have wanted to miss out on hearing any of them.
