Circa Survive (w/ Foxing, Hail The Sun) @ AURA (Portland, ME) on March 25, 2018 [Photos & Show Review]

Doylestown, PA post-hardcore giants Circa Survive are presently on a run across North America with comrades Foxing and Hail The Sun providing support on “The Amulet Tour”, named for Circa Survive’s most recent release The Amulet. We caught up with them on day 3 of the tour, as they made their way to a rowdy audience at Portland, Maine’s AURA.

The venue was quite full even before opener Hail The Sun had come out to put on a spectacular performance. The band’s set began with frontman Donovan Melero behind the drum kit for the first couple of songs before he was replaced by a touring member and proceeded to the front of the stage where he manhandled the mic stand, throwing it around between verses. Were a passerby to have walked into the venue, unaware of any of the bands playing that night, they would likely have assumed from Hail The Sun’s stage presence and energy alone, that they were the headliner. This was my first time (but hopefully not my last time) seeing them play live, if you’re heading to this tour on a later stop, be sure to get there in time for their set!

Up next, post-rock act Foxing picked up where Hail The Sun left off, with another blistering display of musicianship. Frontman Conor Murphy told the audience that he was feeling a bit under the weather vocally due to trying to emulate the on-stage energy of Circa Survive’s frontman Anthony Green the night before. While he sounded a little hoarse when talking between songs, Murphy was pretty flawless when it came to vocal delivery and letting loose on the trumpet. The band’s set included hits from their past two full-lengths including “Inuit,” and “Medic.”

At last it was time for Circa Survive to close the night out. The lights dimmed, and the band emerged to a fog-enveloped stage with the song “Rites of Investiture,” from 2017’s The Amulet. From the get-go, the crowd was singing-along to every word that spilled forth from Green’s mouth. The band continued with “The Difference Between Medicine and Poison Is in the Dose,” and “Wish Resign.” Green was in rare form this evening, seemingly amazed at the turnout and cracking jokes between songs–at one point riffing on Maine’s state motto saying, “Maine, the way shows should be.”

Their performance would go on to include fan-favorites new and old, including “Get Out,” “Tunnel Vision,” and “Lustration,” and closed with “Decensus,” from their 2014 record of the same name. It was a real treat to get to see the band in such an intimate venue–in fact, many venues on this tour are on the more intimate end of things. While “The Amulet Tour” is now almost half done, there is still plenty of time to catch these bands live. Check out the remaining dates on the tour below.

Remaining Tour Dates:

04/03 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
04/06 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
04/07 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theater
04/08 – Pomona, CA – Fox Theater
04/10 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
04/12 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
04/13 – House of Rock – Corpus Christi, TX
04/14 – New Orleans, LA – The Joy Theater
04/16 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
04/17 – Greensboro, NC – The Cone Denim
04/18 – Norfolk, VA – Norva (buy tickets here)
04/20 – Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater
04/21 – Wilmington, DE – The Queen
04/22 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live
05/05 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Music Festival (Circa Survive only)

Watch Circa Survive’s music video for the single “The Amulet” here.