A&E

Caravels’ final hometown show leaves an emotional impact

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Caravels Mike Roeslein (left) and Cory Van Cleef play their Las Vegas farewell January 9 at the Bunkhouse.

I didn’t plan on spending Friday night pressed against the Bunkhouse stage. In my mind’s eye, I’d be camped near the sound booth, where the mix would be pristine and the odds of getting bowled over all but nil. Yet as the clock ticked toward midnight and the headliners’ set approached, I found myself inching forward, until I stood at the very front of the Downtown venue’s floor.

It just felt necessary, being that close to one of my favorite Vegas bands, for what might be the last time ever. I’d caught 19 Caravels shows coming in, and No. 20 would mark the quintet’s final U.S. performance. I’d seen them play in houses, warehouses, taco shops and art galleries, and now I’d watch their send-off a few feet from my face. Nothing else made sense.

As the five musicians—guitarists Matt Frantom and Dillon Shines, bassist Cory Van Cleef, drummer George Foskaris and vocalist Mike Roeslein—soundchecked, I thought back to the first time I’d encountered them, a pack of teenage kids dropping by our office for an early story. Even then they had a power when plugged in, playing a heady brand of hardcore I connected with from the start. And as they got it going Friday night, I felt the strength of their near-decade together, and what those years spent touring and recording have done for their confidence and their songs.

I also felt emotion, as the minutes flowed past and realization set in that the end was nearly here. I faded back just before the finish, to find some space and get a different view. But as Caravels launched into last song “Snake Plissken,” I launched ahead once more, joining the leaping bodies, pointing toward the sky and shouting along to Roeslein’s familiar roar. When my feet got tangled and I stumbled to the wooden floor, I simply grinned and got up, to spend a few more moments with an old musical friend.

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