Written By: Jim Markunas (Editor-In-Chief)Photos By: Ed Hannigan
View all of Ed’s Chevelle photos here.
I’ve seen Chevelle a handful of times, and they’re consistently good live. They never miss a note, and they’re LOUD as fuck! If you like that classic detuned wall-of-guitar sound backed by intricate drums, this is the band to see in person.
Chevelle has never been about theatrics or stage antics, preferring to just plain rock. I was surprised to see that they had incorporated themes from Sci-Fi Crimes into their stage show. A banner the size of a football field with the cover of the album hung on the wall behind the band, and what can only be described as ‘UFO’ lights blinded the audience at certain points during the show. I haven’t decided whether this annoyed me or not, I don’t really remember, as I was pretty much head-banging non-stop for their whole set. Actually… The UFO lights were a really cool effect for opener, “Sleep Apnea,” but not so cool for other songs. Pete also played without his signature toolbox, opting to use a floor monitor for a leg rest instead. Bring back the toolbox, Pete! You gotta be you (smiles).
What I love about my hard rock brethren of Chevelle fans is that we are rabid! The audience knew every word of every song. They sang and moshed through the entire set; extremely rare for an L.A. audience (most of the time we stand there, motionless and depressed looking, as if at a Smashing Pumpkins concert). The Chevelle show changed all that. After Midnight Project brought the house down (great pairing, by the way), Chevelle built it up and tore it down all over again.
In short, Chevelle is a great band to see live; easy on the eyes, and brutal on the ear-drums (in a good way). Catch them on tour, and pick up a copy of Sci-Fi Crimes .
Opening band, New Medicine, also showed a lot of promise. Picture a more radio-friendly At The Drive-In, and you’ve got New Medicine, a band of tattooed punks out of Minnesota. They’ll be releasing their debut album in early 2010, so be on the look out! See Ed's New Medicine photos here.
Other Chevelle Articles:
Interview With Sam
Review of Sci-Fi Crimes
