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Circles Around The Sun Proves the Hype is Real in Atlanta May 9, 2019 19:50

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Words by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
Photos by Ryan Lewis: Rylewphoto
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Last night in Atlanta was an experience I had been anxiously awaiting for nearly four years. Like many of you, I was completely mesmerized when it came time for setbreak at the infamous Grateful Dead "Fare Thee Well" shows in 2015. What is usually a time for heading to the bathroom, grabbing a cold beverage, and counting the minutes until the band's return was a far different experience. We would later learn that Justin Kreutzmann, the son of Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, was in charge of visual effects. The production team would play unreleased, archived footage and psychedelic montages on giant screens, and Kreutzmann looked to guitarist Neal Casal to create an instrumental soundtrack for these visuals. 
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Casal quickly called on Adam MacDougall (keyboards), Dan Horne (bass), and Mark Levy (drums) and formed a band. With very little time to prepare, the band went into the studio with no pre-written material. I had the opportunity to interview Neal several months ago, and he explained, " We just tried to imagine the kind of music that we would want to hear if we were at a Grateful Dead show and hanging out at intermission. So we just imagined it and made it up on the spot. Just improvising a bunch of music over the course of two days. We got very lucky in the fact that people liked it."
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The music was so well received that Casal decided to pursue this as a long term project, which was ultimately named Circles Around The Sun (aka CATS). The Fare Thee Well recordings were released as Interludes For The Dead in November of 2015, and the band would perform their first public show at LOCKN' Festival in 2016. With each band member being involved in various other projects, such as Chris Robinson Brotherhood, tour dates were initially few and far between. Fortunately, we've seen the number of dates increase drastically over the past year. 
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Wednesday night was the band's first true headlining show in Atlanta. Earlier this year, CATS performed to a sold out crowd at The Tabernacle in support of Greensky Bluegrass, and the local buzz was more than noticeable last night. Terminal West was about as packed as I've ever seen it, and the show must have been about as close to a sell out as possible. The unique lighting arrangement and multiple disco balls on stage set the tone for an incredibly wild musical journey.
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As the band took the stage, an extended, spacey jam ultimately made way for "On My Mind," the opening track from their sophomore album, Let it Wander. I can't think of a much better way to get the room moving. It didn't take 10 minutes to realize that this was going to be a special night. "Gilbert's Groove" gave us our first taste from the Interludes album. It's truly remarkable how Casal has mastered the Garcia-esque licks. We got another taste of the new album in the form of "Halicarnassus." This one featured some of my favorite moments from MacDougall, and I cant say enough about the rhythm section here. When Mark Levy finds a pocket, he absolutely locks in and couldn't appear to be happier doing so. Dan Horne is an absolute monster on bass, and watching these two's interactions throughout the night was one of my biggest takeaways from the show. 
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Midway through the set, we saw a glimpse of what the future holds in one of CATS' newest originals, "Peace." While Let it Wander remains in steady rotation around the house, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxiously awaiting more new material from this band. Another monstrous jam vehicle has surfaced, and it's safe to say that there is much more coming. MacDougall led the way on "Immovable Object," which is easily one of the most soothing, peaceful tunes you will find. The slow, groovy build makes way for some blistering guitar work from Casal. This is another one that could easily be mistaken as a Jerry Garcia Band original. Casal's technique and overall tone is uncanny. 
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Before this monster set came to an end, the band busted into "Saturday's Children," another Interludes track. I like to think that this tune is the lovechild of "West LA Fadeaway" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy." Levy keeps the beat nice and tight, while Casal hits those riffs that just put a big smile on your face. I found myself laughing on countless occasions at this point. That's when you know it's good. After a brief exit, CATS returned with time for one more. I'd been waiting for this one all night, and thankfully, Levy kicked straight into the intro for "One for Chuck." If I had a nickel for the amount of times I've played this song in 2019, I'd have a hell of a lot of nickels. "Chuck" showcases my absolute favorite moments from MacDougall's wizardry, and this epic musical journey couldn't have ended on a higher note. 
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There's only so much you can put into words when it comes to this band. The music is perfect for any occasion. Whether you're looking to relax and unwind, or maybe even hit the dance floor, Circles Around the Sun has you covered. My expectations heading into Terminal West could not have been much higher, and they were exceeded in every way. The ceiling is incredibly high with these CATS, and I'll be making every effort to catch them on the road whenever the opportunity presents itself.
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Watch a clip of CATS performing "One for Chuck" here:
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