Review by Mari Washburn, Photos by Jacklyn Lipscomb
Royale Presents: Cautious Clay on March 18th, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts.
On March 18th, 2022 on an unseasonably balmy day, a big red tour bus took its second to last stop in Boston, Massachusetts. Situated between 4 different neighborhoods: Bay Village, Park Square, the Theater District and Chinatown, the Royale's headlines held the name Cautious Clay in lights. Like the Boston venue, Cautious Clay's music doesn't fit in one particular category and the musical city's sold out crowd came to show up and show out in support.
Starting the night out Julius Rodriguez and his band caught the attention of the room with their evocative, colorful sounds. While Julius remained on the keys/synth in true fashion, every musician he shared the stage with told a carefully crafted story. Julius' quirky humor charmed the masses from his funny faces on stage later as Cautious Clay's keys and guitar player, to when he stopped his band mid-song to tease the audience with his brand new release "Gift of the Moon". His style was a mere perfect marriage of old school jazz with a modern influence and it didn't matter if you were a lover of the genre or not to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate such sonic art.
The change of set was full of chatter amongst the audience, in the thrill of congratulating Rodriguez and band mates with fist bumps and compliments alike. However, when the lights dropped, the energy outwardly shifted, heartbeats stopped and quickened, and gasps escaped the lips that had sung the words a million times prior. The bass hit like a back to a brick wall and when the first light appeared hitting the glass column at the center of the stage it became a prism- altering the light's pathways shifting with every rotation to the beat around it.
The crowd exploded before Cautious could sing the first words, as he started his set with "Agreeable" - an upbeat, captivating track to get the night going. Set up behind the mic stand sat instruments you would not find at your typical Alternative/Hip Hop show and it didn't take long to see what they were all about. Alternating between flute, tenor saxophone, and guitar, practically every other song kept listeners wondering just how he would choose to tell each story; Even picking up the soprano saxophone (which many audience members confused as an oboe) for the most awe-inspiring, groovy, electric, seemingly improvised solo.
About half way through the set, Cautious picked up his flute once more and informed the full house how it was the first instrument he’d ever learned, going on to explain how each show he wanted to perform an experiment at this point in the night. Seemingly taking a risk from his slight hesitation, announced his intentions to beatbox flute- a style he’d been studying inspired by one of its pioneers, Greg Pattillo’s, Youtube videos. The call and response between the percussive flute and his band mate Francesco Alessi on the drums lasted about a minute and a half, with Cautious winning the unofficial competition every time.
If you hadn’t already gathered just how different Cautious sets himself as a creator, you knew by the time “Wildfire” started how rare a caliber he truly stands. The stripped song had little backing but the most profound effect. His usual round textured, warm tone was brought into his emotional falsetto for the song's chorus that practically begs those listening to sing along. Contrastingly, songs like “French Riviera” and crowd favorite “Cold War”, among others, gave guitarist and long time friend Chis Kyle fiery solos of epic proportions. Hitting so hard Cautious even had to lie down comically in the middle of the stage to take it all in. Mixing it up further was the first song of the encore beside a single guitar in “Swim Home”, a song he noted was about a friend named John who he went to college with. The comradery and connection between those he shared the stage with was clear, with both the main act and his support grinning ear to ear and all basking in each other's talent, a rather heartwarming sight.
When given the chance to see Cautious Clay live there should be no question, but one's answer should always be yes. His music in headphones is an experience in itself, but when blessed to be in front of the man performing those very same songs is sublime. If it was your first time catching him perform you would never have known his introverted tendencies behind the scenes. Watching him interact with the crowd, using the whole stage, holding hands, and even taking a few phones throughout the show, was a real testament to how powerful a relationship he holds to his music. Openly claiming “Deadpan Love” was the closest documentation of who he is at this point in life and how performing it was a great means of connecting with people- an opportunity to be the most open version of himself, the truest form of Joshua Karpeh.
“Deadpan Love” defined by Cautious Clay himself as: “(1) An outer layer of sarcasm and wit to protect an inner layer of compassion and empathy, (2) Levity in the face of judgment, (3) Dignifying yourself and those around you”.
Despite the rather paradoxical meaning, when the lights shine and the music plays, a charming, honest, expressive, virtuoso reveals himself.
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