Ringing in the Holidays With Magic Man
Adam Reynoso ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
In the second night of their first annual holiday show, Magic Man showed up to a sold out show at the Sinclair. Following their opening acts, Gentlemen Hall and The Novel Ideas, Magic Man came out with the energy they’re known for and brought the house down.
The Novel Ideas began the night, playing through their set with rhythm and finesse. They played a holiday track and even closed their set with Magic Man’s bass player, Gabe Goodman. The band interacted with the crowd a lot and had fun with their set. Shortly after, Gentlemen Hall came on to the stage where they sped up the best a bit more than their predecessors.
Finally, the main act came onto the stage in a spectacular manner. With Christmas lights lighting up their drum set, the intro to their track, “Texas,” up until the song really began and they came out roaring. It was definitely one of the strongest way to open and really get the audience going. But more importantly, it really kickstarted their set and set the stage for the rest of the show.
The thing about Magic Man is that they’re a band that has a great presence on the stage. The lead singer, Alex Caplow, is always moving and jumping on the stage and it adds a high speed energy to the performance as a whole. But in addition to his stage presence, his vocals are on point as well. In fact, the band might even sound better live than recorded. Each track moves undeniably well and the audience is alway singing along, dancing or just moving.
Like the bands before them, Magic Man was constantly talking with the audience, taking gifts and reading signs. But they were also going back to their roots as the band got their start in Boston. Maybe this is why they had even more fun in the show, remembering where it all began.
The band played through their popular tracks, including “Waves,” “Honey,” and closing with their top hit, “Paris.” One of the biggest surprise was their cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” It fit their style perfectly and sounded like it was a song of their own.
As for their encore, it was filled with the holiday spirit as they went into “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” But they didn’t come back onto the stage alone. Along with the band, Gentlemen Hall and The Novel Ideas joined them as they went out with a Christmas bang. Dressed with Santa hats, the bands really went all out and got into the Christmas spirit with the final act. It also showed how well the three acts worked together.
For what is hopefully to become a holiday tradition, Magic Man and Co. rang in the holidays in the best way possible. The band showed they are just getting started and have an appreciation for the fans that have been there from the start. They definitely know how to put on a show.