Capstan, the Florida-based band, has found that becoming dads together strengthens their bond as musicians, and it’s evident during their second headlining tour, The Cult Tour.
The tour showcases a decade’s worth of cult classics, spanning across three albums and six EPs, bringing their unique sound and energy to fans far from home.
Guitarist Harrison Bormann expressed his amazement: “It’s weird being on the other side of the country. To see so many people show up while we are so far away from home — it’s amazing.”
The band’s most recent album, “The Mosaic,” released on May 24, 2024, is a reflection of two years of hard work, self-produced in their homes in Florida.
“We’re older guys; we grew up listening to records, not singles,” Bormann said. “We still love records, and it became important for this album to have callbacks throughout the album. We wanted to do a cohesive piece.”
This album also marked significant changes in the band members’ personal lives, particularly for Bormann, who welcomed his daughter just as they were recording.
“We spent about a year writing it and then another six months recording it,” he explained. “I had just had my daughter when we recorded the album, so my daughter’s whole first year of her life was just her listening to us record music and Anthony screaming … she has favorite songs now when she hears our album.”
At El Corazon in Seattle, Capstan prepped for their set backstage in hoodies and flip-flops, seemingly unaware of their dedicated cult following.
The opener, Not Enough Space, delivered a powerful performance that combined death growls with emotional lyrics, effectively bridging the gap between girly pop and death metal.
Under neon green lighting, lead vocalists Lizzie Raatma and Liv Mitchell presented a striking visual contrast, with Raatma in a light pink corset dress and Mitchell in black.
Second opener True North brought a real-life portrayal of organized chaos to the stage, with each member seemingly in their own world as they performed.
Bass guitarist Morgan Kibler dazzled the audience with his electric green bass while guitarist Sean Hansen, clad in a teal Hello Kitty hoodie, made a more subdued appearance in the corner of the stage.
Vocalist Tim Beken, reminiscent of a 2011 teenage boy, captivated the crowd with his strained vocals over powerful drum solos.
As the audience’s energy escalated, third opener Colorblind took the stage in sharp contrast to the previous acts.
Travis William Moseley, the band’s frontman, showcased a range of styles, moving seamlessly from ethereal to punk tracks, concluding their set by welcoming Capstan to the stage with gratitude.
In a comedic display, Capstan entered the stage shrouded in red hooded cloaks, heads bowed and holding dimly lit candles.
As they huddled together, Forrest Gump’s iconic quote about chocolates played over the speakers, followed by the dramatic reveal of the band’s stark white denim as they jumped into the second track of “The Mosaic,” titled “Misery Scene.”
Capstan’s dynamic transformation was palpable, as they exuded passion and energy, engaging the audience in singing along to the band’s 2019 hit, “We’ll Always Have Paris.”
In a heartfelt moment between songs, guitarist Joseph Mabry spoke personally to the audience, reflecting on their journey.
“We’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s been a really full-circle, bittersweet moment this whole tour because these are absolutely the best shows we’ve ever played in our career as a band,” Mabry said. “But the reason I say it’s bittersweet is that all of us are new fathers in the last couple of years. Touring was never something that was hard; for the longest time, we could go and never wanna go back home. Now it’s painful being away from our families, but you make this worth it, and you make the pain worth it.”
The emotional connection reached its peak when Mabry and DeMario transitioned to an acoustic duet of the song “Hideaway,” which left many audience members in tears.
Ramping up the excitement, they performed their 2016 track “Wax Poetic,” with the band spinning around the stage and losing themselves in the audience’s cheers.
As the concert reached its conclusion, the band executed an encore performance that resonated loudly, leaving attendees with reverberating ears.
The night ended with Capstan expressing gratitude as the message echoed through the venue: “Capstan is a cult.”
Reflecting on the tour’s challenges, Bormann noted how becoming parents has shifted their perspective on touring.
“It’s significantly rougher,” he admitted. “Now that we’ve had kids, we’re trying to pull back from touring as much. I say that, but we were still touring a lot last year, and we still want to tour — it’s just way more selective now about what we wanna do and how long we’re away.”
Capstan will continue The Cult Tour throughout the month, concluding in their hometown of Orlando, Florida, on April 26.
Reach writer Isabelle Greenberg at [email protected]. X: @Isa05_Greenberg
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