By: Kurt Thelen and Erin Jones
The set-up for the Cannonballers tour, featuring Lunar Vacation and headliners Colony House. Photo Credit: Kurt Thelen
We had the honor and privilege of showing up to Babeville in Buffalo, New York to interview the band Colony House and witness them in concert! Going into the concert, we had no idea what exactly to expect except for a general knowledge of Colony House’s music as well as snippets from their past interviews, but one thing was clear: we were ready to have a great time! Having arrived at the venue, we were surprised by just how beautiful it was; pictured below is the outside of Babeville. We were promptly ushered inside to witness the sound check for both Colony House and the opening band Lunar Vacation before we headed downstairs to interview Caleb Chapman and Parke Cottrell for the interview. Click here to listen to the full, unedited interview where we talked all about music and the band’s process for producing their sound.
When the interview was over, we were taken back to the band’s tour bus and received special passes that allowed us to sit in on the meet-and-greet, which turned out to be quite the experience! With a group of around ten other people, we all sat around as Colony House performed acoustic versions of some of their songs, as well as performing medleys and answering any questions posed by the crowd. Since it was Caleb Chapman’s birthday, they performed an impromptu version of “Happy Birthday” per the request of an audience member, which just goes to show how important the relationship between the band and fans is; Colony House has stated many times their appreciation for their fans and how a concert is an event that includes everyone and puts everyone on the same level as each other. So, the connection between the two groups was very real, and overall it was an interesting, intimate kind of experience.
After the meet-and-greet (and a subsequent picture with the entire band), we only had to wait for a bit until the concert was underway, and the first act took the stage to welcome in the surging crowd. Lunar Vacation, an indie-rock band based out of Atlanta Georgia, was half of the Cannonballers tour and had followed Colony House to many other states and venues to perform. The band consists of Grace “Gep” Repasky on vocals, Maggie Geeslin on guitar, Matteo DeLurgio on keyboard and assorted percussion, and Connor Dowd on drum set; together, they put on quite the show! Their low-key and moody brand of rock had the crowd swaying as if they were in a trance, and the final song of their set had everyone bouncing to the beat. The emotional tone of the set is somewhat comparable to a Parachutes-era Coldplay, with a focus on emotion over complexity and instrument timbres that provide an atmospheric undertone to Repasky’s soft and heartfelt vocals. Having been put into a great mood through Lunar Vacation, the headlining band took the stage: Colony House.
Lunar Vacation, from left to right - Matteo DeLurgio, Maggie Geeslin, Grace "Gep" Repasky, and Connor Dowd (on the drum set) Photo Credit: Kurt Thelen
Colony House’s performance had a thrilling start, opening with “Landlocked Surf Rock”, a hit song from their new album, The Cannonballers. The band exclusively debuted their new song, “Payphone,” which details their frustration with the new generation and reminisces on the technology they had growing up. Lead singer Caleb Chapman took time to encourage fans to donate to Exist for Good, a charity they created through a partnership with the organization Food for the Hungry, in order to raise money to aid refugees. Towards the end of the set, Chapman performed “Moving Forward” alone on stage with his acoustic guitar, in dedication to his late sister; the other members of Colony House returned on stage and they finished the song together, creating a powerful moment for the audience. Colony House closed with their popular 2017 hit, “You Know It”, which pleased the crowd so much, they demanded an encore.
Colony House performing "Moving Forward" - pictured from left to right: Parke Cottrell, Will Chapman, Caleb Chapman, and Scott Mills. Photo Credit: Kurt Thelen
Overall, Colony House put on a great show. They performed a mix of new songs from The Cannonballers and older hits. The band members had an outstanding performance quality, as they actively engaged with the audience, enticing them by how much fun they were having performing together on stage. The concert had incredible lighting, each song featuring exciting and unique sequences of colors and patterns. It was a very enjoyable experience, and we recommend you listen to Colony House yourself!
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