Circa Survive wraps the Amulet tour, thanks fans for keeping them grounded

Circa Survive | photo by Rachel Del Sordo for WXPN | racheldelsordophotography.com

Circa Survive came home Saturday night to play their second to last date on the Amulet tour at The Fillmore, and if you weren’t there, you missed what might have been the end of a truly epic era. The tour’s lineup featured local openers Queen of Jeans and La Dispute, and, like Circa Survive, they have both recorded with Conshohocken-based producer Will Yip, who got a special mention between sets as the common ground between all three bands. This will be the last Circa Survive tour for a little while, as the band takes a much needed hiatus from traveling, so take it in while you can. I’ve seen them several times, but I know this show is going to stand out in my mind for a long time, and you’ll see why.

But Philly. Anthony Green says it time and time again – there is nothing like a Philly show, especially if it’s your hometown gig. But why was this one so good?

Well:

1. The a cappella introduction to “Lustration” with Green’s haunting falsetto to kick off the set.
2. Back to back “Stop The Car” and “We’re All Thieves” off of their debut record Juturna, the best tracks to play together live.
3. Green crowd surfing his way to the balcony and climbing up the pillar to hug his adorable kids who are always in the audience.
4. An acoustic version of “Act Appalled.”
5. An encore featuring “Meet Me In Montauk” as the final goodbye.

Circa Survive always plans the best setlists, and when they aren’t playing one single album front to back, they make a point to include the best of nearly every release. Even though this tour was for their 2017 LP, The Amulet, only about a third of the songs were from it. There was a lot of Juturna, and they even played one song from the elusive Violent Waves album, something they almost never do. The energy between each band member is so cohesive and magnetic. They have what looks like such a rare and incredible bond that you could only ever cultivate by sharing such a deep part of your soul with one another, and music does that.

I love watching Anthony Green perform. His energy is infectious. He is a wild man on stage and you can’t stand still while he’s in the room with you. He’s such a multi-faceted artist, and a Circa performance doesn’t compare to a solo Green show. The energy levels are just through the roof when he’s with his band. It’s always “Let’s dance,” in that super devious voice right before the lights come on and he immediately breaks into his signature, inimitable scream that knows exactly how to get the crowd going. Just for that, I’ll see him every time he’s in Philly, without question.

But he also knows how to slow down. He took several breaks in the set to thank us for being here and to thank Philly for being so incredible. What really got me was when the band left the stage for the final song of the encore, which is almost always “Meet Me In Montauk,” and Green played it earnestly and alone. It was beautiful, but what was even more so was the way he addressed the crowd when it was over. Illuminated by a single spotlight, he said, “Thank you for taking care of me through all these years.” It was poignant, but it didn’t feel like a goodbye. It’s a promise that they will always, always be back. Fans thank Circa Survive for taking care of them, too.