As the city of Boston prepares for the next installment of the increasingly-popular Boston Calling music festival series, fans may be surprised to see locals Magic Man listed alongside the likes of Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie and Built to Spill. The 5-piece group, started by long-time friends Alex Caplow and Sam Lee, produce artfully-crafted synth-pop, with a unique energy and enormous sound that is seldom found in local acts. While Magic Man have quickly moved up the ranks of the pop music ladder (playing alongside bands such as MS MR and Walk the Moon), they are very aware of the steps it took them to reach where they are today. “Playing in basements and living rooms was how we started as a band,” says Caplow, “and it’s that same energy that we try to bring to shows like Boston Calling.”
With record crowds anticipated to descend on City Hall Plaza in only a few short weeks, Magic Man will be quite comfortable on such a large stage, though it took them awhile to have such composure. “I remember one show in Columbus, OH with Walk the Moon. We hadn’t done our research on the venue and from backstage we could hear the place filling up, [but weren’t expecting a huge crowd],” recalls Caplow. “We came out and there were thousands of screaming teens–we were in entire shock.” Since then, the band have played many large-capacity venues and are scheduled for even more this summer (including a set at Firefly in Delaware, MD and a string of dates on the West Coast). For more updates about the band, check out their website. More information about Boston Calling (as well as info about Tigerman, WOAH!–the second local act to be featured at this spring’s concert) can be found here.
-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
Photo Credit: Gavin Thomas