cavetown welcomed to a sold-out night in st. louis
Words by Amy Tang, art by Benjamin Nicholson
Softly stroking against the belly of his ukulele, Cavetown gently swayed along to the beat, all while beaming at the sight of fans holding each other in a tight embrace and mirroring his side to side movements. After a couple of sets from openers Spookyghostboy—fellow musician and friend Austin Thomas—and rustic DIY feels from Field Medic, Robin Skinner, most commonly known as Cavetown, was met with a warm welcome to a sold-out show at Delmar Hall in St. Louis on October 9th. The crowd buzzed with enthusiasm and excitement as this was the English singer’s first-ever appearance in the city. Kicking off his set with “Hug All Ur Friends," a track defining the importance of friendships, the audience was given an insight into Skinner’s soft, yet playful, musical tone.
Surrounded on stage by various lamps, a couple of instruments, his bandmates on the drums and bass guitar, a small couch, and a mini TV set featuring video clips of his pet cat, the 20-year-old indie-pop singer’s charisma and talent illuminated the homey atmosphere. Following the opening track, Skinner eased into “Lemon Boy” and “Green," both tracks off of his sophomore album, Lemon Boy, released the previous year. With “Lemon Boy” tackling Skinner’s personal experience with anxiety and mental illness, the song’s truthful lyrics are masked behind metaphors and are brought to life with the characterization of his darker side. He closed his eyes, getting lost in the performance, as he wistfully sang about a past lover in “Green” before picking up the pace for the final verse. Each of these tracks is different in its own element, yet both display a sense of familiarity in his use of mellow acoustics, soft percussion, and catchy melodies.
Moving onto the latter half of the show, pleasant expressions of surprise and familiarity struck the audience as Skinner transitioned to a stunning cover of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” by Randy Newman. A wave of nostalgia hit me as he beckoned for the crowd to sing along to the famous tune. Thomas even shared a small solo of his own, smoothly plucking at his guitar strings as Skinner stood back watching his friend in amazement. The two shared laughs on stage while still remaining intact with the groovy rhythm and not missing a single beat. Their dynamic ran flawlessly; they radiated the stage with every quick stroke and brought the song to life.
As the night went on, Skinner settled down with his guitar and gave fans an insight into the unreleased Cavetown tracks “Things That Make It Warm," “Snail,” and “Empty Bed.” Soon enough, the entire room fell silent, the audience not wanting to ruin the intimate moment being shared on stage. Fans listened and watched intently, soaking in his every word before erupting in applause.
Lastly, ending the show with crowd favorites “Fool” and “Boys Will Be Bugs," the singer concluded the night with a bang. I watched in awe as Skinner bounced around the stage, breaking through with every chord and melody. The energy was purely contagious as the entire audience burst out in song, everyone gradually building up to the choruses through head bops and even louder cheers. As a casual listener, I went in unaware of what was to come on that typical Tuesday night. But soon enough, I found myself dancing along with nearby strangers and being completely captivated by Skinner’s natural charm. Every interaction with the crowd felt genuine, as Skinner often took breaks in between his set to chat with fans down below and humbly thanking the crowd for the support. While being surrounded by hundreds of other people, his performance still had a personal touch to it. From the barricade to the very back of the pit, Skinner laid down a real connection between himself and the audience. It was a night embodied with love, kindness, and friendship.