Magic Man Casts A Spell On Chicago

Chicago – The Boston-based Magic Man had already begun to play “Waves” when lead singer Alex Caplow came energetically skipping out on stage. His enthusiasm held strong all night, leaping feverishly around, tossing himself into the audience, and whipping his microphone cord like a lasso. His fiery showmanship and Magic Man’s fun indie-pop made for one heck of a dance party along Lake Michigan.

Back in 2010, childhood friends Alex Caplow and Sam Vanderhoop Lee formed Magic Man while working and traveling throughout France. Upon returning to the States and graduating college, the two moved to Providence, Rhode Island and eventually turned their duo into a quintet to create what Caplow has dubbed “triumphant synth rock.” The lively five-piece consists of Alex on vocals, Sam on guitars and keyboard, Justine Bowe on keyboards, Gabe Goodman on bass, and Joey Sulkowski on drums. After releasing their debut album, Before The Waves through Neon Gold / Columbia in May, Magic Man joined Panic! At The Disco on the North American leg of The Gospel Tour. I caught Magic Man opening for Panic! at the FirstMerit Bank Pavilion on Chicago’s Northerly Island this past Friday night and was drawn into an explosive dance party.

Sam grabbed his mic to introduce the next song: “This next song is a special one. It’s called ‘Chicagoland,’ and now we’re playing it in Chicago, so I think it’s gonna be good!” At the mention of their beloved city, the crowd screamed in approval. However, in a recent interview, Sam and Alex informed me that “Chicagoland” is actually named after a DIY venue in Providence. Alex said it “was a place where we first started making friends, so it really started out our lives in Providence,” and chuckled upon remembering he’s “had some special nights there, in an old run down warehouse.” Nonetheless, seeing Magic Man perform this song with the iconic Chicago skyline in the background was breathtaking.

During “Texas,” the crowd joined Alex in clapping along to the beat. People sang along with the lyrics, “Won’t you cover my skin with your sun-kissed light / There’s a bonfire burning tonight / We could be all right.” Gabe jumped up and down, beating his bass. Even though they were the opening act, it appeared that Magic Man had plenty of fans in the massive audience, and watching the guys – and lady – of Magic Man perform with such ease on stage could leave you thinking that they were perhaps the headliners. With their energetic shows and catchy songs, the band (unsurprisingly) sells out their own headlining shows and was picked to open for acts like Panic! At The Disco, Grouplove, and New Politics.

Magic Man finished their set with the hyper “Paris.” The crowd cheered when they heard Justine’s familiar keyboard chords. A sudden glow filled the pavilion as people frantically raised cell phones to capture the moment. Alex jumped happily around the stage, while a roar of voices began singing along with him word for word. Smiles filled the band’s faces as they watched a crowd of 30,000 people singing dancing along to their chart-topping single.

Magic Man put on an incredible show. You can catch the five-piece on tour with Panic! At The Disco through August. They’ll also be kicking off a co-headlining tour with Smallpools in the Fall. Click HERE for tour dates. You can purchase Before The Waves on iTunes.

Photo by Sarah Hess

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.

You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.