After a weekend of unpredictable antics from Mother Nature, music fans were eager to head to Caamp. Tornado warnings, heavy rains, and looming thunderstorms didn’t stop the local and it only delayed the Ohio natives from delivering their good vibes to the packed CMAC crowd on June 21. With support from Hannah Cohen and Mon Rovia, this was a show for the memoirs.

Getting the party started was Hannah Cohen, a 39 year old native of downstate. Raw, simple, and refined, Cohen’s vocals serenaded the sparse crowd with good mix of music from her four studio albums. Like her successors tonight, many of Cohen’s songs tell a story that listeners can easily relate to. On her recent release, “Golden Chain”, she sings about a breakup, and the reasoning behind it all. With so many distractions out there, it’s no wonder there are so many break ups and subsequent songs.

“I wanna matter more to you / than those internet girls you do / than the late night liquor and the booze”

Earthstar Mountain, released in 2025 has had many saying best Indie album of the year. “Draggin” is the second track on the album, and Choen sings about how family can and will drive you to the brink. Nothing bone jarring or over the top, the fans were already in their seats were most definitely treated to something amazing and special. Her 25-minute set was barely enough to scratch the surface, leaving the fans yearning for more.

Following Cohen’s set, Mother Nature strutted her stuff again and wreaked havoc on the schedule, pushing back the middle act nearly 45 minutes. Lucky for us, Mon Rovia was still able to take the stage for a very scaled back set of about 15 minutes.

Soft spoken and humble, Mon Rovia (aka Janjay Lowe) took the stage and forced the audience to listen intently through his captivating and almost hymnal vocals. Songs that come from the heart and truly tell a story, Rovia drops lyrics about identity and belonging, personal and political struggles, and history. All of which he has rooted passion for.

His 2026 album, Bloodline is filled with inspiration from his life an adoptee, the civil war in Liberia and folklore history from the Appalachian region. “Heavy Foot” comes out as dig at government and the pressures on citizens from possibly an overstepping of power.

For those who missed out on full set from Mon Rovia, he will be playing at Borderland Festival on September 19.

With the radar clearing up, and both openers come and gone, it was time for what fans braved the weather for. With a name like Caamp, one would expect that there would be rain in the forecast. But we all know that a little rain can’t stop a good trip. Let the party begin.

From the first note of “No Sleep” to the final stanza on “All The Debts I Owe” you could see who the real fans were and who there as a third wheel or maybe a first timer like myself. Watching everyone come out with beer in hand and/or lit cigarette was truly an experience that the 80s would be proud of.

Unlike many other acts out there, there was minimal chatter on stage. Little to no banter among musicians. These guys from Columbus, Ohio were there to play and keep the fans on their toes all night. Based on that, Caamp had a successful night in Canandaigua.

Lead vocalist Taylor Meier and crew walked out on stage around nine pm and quietly ripped off a couple lines from CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” which instantly adrenalized the now jam-packed amphitheater. Many of which are now soaked from the downpours and brief moment wind-blown rain. There was no looking back now, the show has started and fans were amped up like Popeye after a can of spinach.

Opening up with “No Sleep”, “Peach Fuzz”, and “The Otter” Meier led his boys through a perfect set of tracks, and what little conversation was had directly led flawlessly into the next song.

Each song resonates with everyone in a different way. A mother and daughter from Coburg, ON were each pumped by different songs. An older guy to my right was bouncing like a Tigger doll for most of the set, and guy in front me of barely moved. That was until “By and By” when he began to show some signs of life.

Leading up to this song, Meier graciously thanked the team at CMAC for keeping the show rolling and also the openers for supporting the tour. Calling out Mon Rovia specifically, he welcomed the opener out to help along with the song that brought my seat neighbor to life.

His sound is so fucking unbelievable…His voice just cuts through
T. Meier on Mon Rovia

Along with Meier, Caamp consists of Evan Westfall (guitar/vocals), Matt Vinson (bass/vocals), Joseph Kavalec (keys), and Nick Falk (Drums). While each artist is key to a certain spot, flexibility is fun to watch. At one point near the end of the set, Meier jumped on the drum kit, Falk picked up a bass and took lead on some vocals. To say this was epic would be an understatement, as the music flowed effortlessly even with the switch.

Chill vibes, great atmosphere, and people watching are all part of what makes a Caamp show a must see. You don’t have to be a die hard when you go to the show, but you will most likely become a fan by the time the show is over.

Caamp setlist: No Sleep, Peach Fuzz, The Otter, Millions, Vagabond, Let Things Go, So Long Honey, Ohio’s Ugly, Mistakes, There She Goes, By and By (w/ Mon Rovia), 26, Used to This, Down The River, So Cool, I Keep Going, Walking on a Dream (Empire of The Sun cover), Going to the Country

Encore: Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover) w/ Hannah Cohen, All The Debts I Owe