By Rebecca Spence, Staff Contributor
When Ben Caplan came to the University of King’s College five years ago, he thought he was eventually going to get a PhD and become a serious academic. Today his friend and band-mate Emma Morgan-Thorp says she can’t see Ben doing anything but music.
“I bet he could get a PhD,” she says. “I know he has the brains. But I can’t imagine Ben not making music full-time.”
“When all you think about is music and all you care about is music, getting a degree in history, as interesting as it is, is hard,” says Caplan, 23. “Especially because music is a full time job, at least if you take it seriously.”
And when it comes to music, Caplan is a serious man.
He spent every day of the week last January sending out e-mails, working on press releases, and trying to book shows for his current project: Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers.
At the moment, the band is composed of six core members. There’s Morgan-Thorp on cello, Neal Read on flute and saxophone, Signe Bone on violin, Asher Nehring on bass and Matt Gallant on drums. And then there’s Caplan, who supplies the group’s vocals and plays a plethora of instruments including guitar, banjo, melodica, harmonica and organ.
Caplan has seen almost 25 musicians come in and out of the Casual Smokers over the past three years. The current sextet is a fairly new lineup.
From the charismatic and sometimes crazy bearded guitarist to the poised and sexy violinist, the band represents a wide range of musical traditions – from the purest of classical backgrounds to traditional jazz and reggae.
On the other side of the spectrum, Caplan brings his own completely unique and non-classical perspective. He is entirely self-taught, having only had a couple of guitar lessons when he was about 12 years old.
Morgan-Thorp says the collaboration of musicians from various backgrounds helps work to the band’s advantage.
“I think our diversity is completely key,” says Morgan-Thorp. “Everyone in the band brings something really different.”
Caplan says he likes to experiment with all sorts of different genres, but ultimately he is rooted in a folk, singer-songwriter style, citing influences such as Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Wilco.
“By the time I could bring a few chords together I was getting up there to perform,” he says. “For me, what I’m most interested in is that property of sharing. So the ability of being in front of an audience and sharing that music directly is a powerful experience. I get a big kick out of it.”
When he first came to King’s he played in the Wardroom in exchange for free drinks in order to learn how to interact with the audience.
“They say you need 100,000 hours of practice to become a virtuoso, and there’s no inborn talent,” he says. “Before you can be a great performer you’ve got to pay your dues and spend that time onstage.”
He acknowledges that being a King’s student is a great way for him to log those hours in a fairly relaxed and supportive environment.
The band also gives King’s credit as being a great way to meet people and develop the band. Caplan estimates that of the handful of musicians that have at one point been a part the Casual Smokers, about half are King’s students.
“University has been key in some fate-developing way,” says Morgan-Thorp. “I think the way I met Ben was when he heard me talking to someone about my cello in the quad.”
“He came up to me – this frightening bearded guy who was like, ‘I heard you play the cello.’ It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. But that’s King’s. That’s quad-mentality. That’s everyone knows everyone.”
On the other hand, the band’s university-education has also hampered their true passions. Four out of the six members are currently in their fourth year of university, so scheduling time to get together has been, according to Caplan, “a nightmare.”
“We all love each other and want to spend all our time together and we’re all just trying to graduate,” says Morgan-Thorp.
Ultimately, though, Caplan says he does not regret his choice to go university. He says it has been a formative experience, and he thinks he has learned a lot about himself and his passions. He has also become much more self-motivated.
“One of the things I’ve learned at university is that nobody’s going to do anything for you,” he says on his efforts to further his music career. “You’ve got to pull your own weight.”
Caplan, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, says he intends to remain in Halifax after he graduates. He says the city has been receptive to the band, and has treated them well.
“My plan is to ride this train as far as it will take me,” he says.
The Casual Smokers recently performed at the Elephant and Castle. By all measurable qualifiers, the show was a success. About 80 people showed up, there were stellar opening acts, and the venue’s management treated the band with nothing but respect.
But for some reason it didn’t all come together for them. The six band members weren’t communicating well, there was some slight tension, and it was hard to establish a connection with the audience.
“It was a shitty show,” says Caplan.
The next night they played a toss-away gig at a kegger for the Jewish Students Association.
“It was thirty people crammed into a little room, but we just played our asses off and they loved it,” says Caplan. “Everybody was drunk and merry.”
“Sometimes we’re just on,” says Morgan-Thorp.
Caplan says that one of the best shows he has every played was when the Casual Smokers were joined by special guest Paul Cram, a Juno-award winning jazz performer. Although the show took place at the King’s Wardoom, which Caplan does not consider an ideal venue, he still considered the performance to be a huge success.
“When it came down to it there was a great energy in the room,” he says. “We were all connected.”
Caplan believes the best way for a band to share its passion and its music with the audience is by effectively communicating with each other.
“The more we play together the more we grow into a unit,” says Morgan-Thorp. “The more we play together, the more we trust each other, and the personal friendships in the band deeply contribute to what happens on stage.”
The Casual Smokers’ next show is this Saturday at Gus’ Pub, where Blown Gasket Orchestra will be opening. Caplan says the performance will be complete with horns, strings and passionate melodies.
“It’s gonna be wild,” says Caplan. “Our shows are nothing if not full of energy. We don’t just walk up on stage, sing our songs then walk off. We haven’t done our job unless the audience is drunk, engaged, dancing and singing along.”
Check out Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers this Saturday at Gus’ Pub (2605 Agricola St.). Doors open at 8 p.m. Or, if you’re out of town for the break, catch them on Friday, March 5, at The Company House (2202 Gottingen St.). Doors open at 9 p.m. Cover is $8.
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