CAAMP’s Matt Vinson talks about why Denver streams the band more than any other city

CAAMP ended its two-night run at Red Rocks last October by passing out bunches of lavender to an amphitheater full of fans to celebrate the release of the band’s fourth LP, “Lavender Days.”

A little over a year later, Ohio-born CAAMP is back in Denver for another sold-out, two-night Red Rocks run. But Denver isn’t just another city for the mountain-friendly folk-rock four-piece: according to Spotify, Denverites stream CAAMP more than any other city, and bassist Matt Vinson says the endlessly attentive and enthusiastic crowds here prove it.

“Colorado was our first sold-out show outside of Ohio,” Vinson said. “[The fans] are there to have a good time, but also … pay attention and absorb the music.”

That desire to pay attention blends well with the band’s yearning to highlight different aspects of its varied discography, which spans from slow, soulful acoustic to more upbeat, Lumineers-esque folk-rock. The first night at Red Rocks will be an acoustic set, a chance to spotlight some of the band members’ more stripped-back hits like “Vagabond” and “By & By.”

“Sonically, there’s not a rule (that says) no electric guitar, it’s just that everything will have an acoustic backing,” Vinson said. “We do have that variation in the catalog and I think it’ll be a nice chance to get everyone nice and peaceful. Just a good old relaxing night of music.”

The second night will give the group a chance to lean into the fuller production featured on “Lavender Days.” Lead single “Believe,” for example, is a folky, blues-rock anthem practically built to echo off Morrison’s rust-colored rocks at sunset. Vinson says that after night one’s acoustic set, CAAMP will be ready to put on “a party of a set” with a renewed fervor.

“To feel the power of full drums and loud amps gasses us up to be able to really give two different experiences,” Vinson said.

CAAMP’s drive to display the breadth of its discography is a reflection of the band’s evolution from the beginnings at Ohio University, where members Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall would play small venues and coffeehouses wherever they could. They later met Vinson at a Denver recording studio (Vinson spent two years as an engineer at Colorado Sound Studios in Westminster) and added his name to the roster with keyboardist Joseph Kavalec.

Now, they’re practically Red Rocks veterans. “Folk music, in general, echoes through mountains,” Vinson said. “Colorado always feels like home.”

CAAMP hits Red Rocks on July 19 and 20 after a stop at Vail’s Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on July 17. All three shows are sold out, but both Red Rocks nights can be live-streamed on Veeps.

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