Concert Review: Chevelle Out of this World Performance

By D. Marcher, www.FromTheCrowd.com
Chevelle, the Chicago trio consisting of Pete Loeffler (vocals, guitars), Sam Loeffler (drums) and Dean Bernardini (bass, live backing vocals) performed at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on October 27 in support of their new album Sci-Fi Crimes.

Chevelle at the Marquee. Photo Credit: Stephanie Baldwin

It was an evening full of music with three opening bands, The Asylum, New Medicine and After Midnight Project. While The Asylum seemed to be heavier metal rock, then one would expect for a Chevelle concert, New Medicine seemed to bridge the musical gap and After Midnight Projects’ performance completed the transition and was able to draw the majority of the crowd that had been waiting on the patio into the theatre, proving they are an excellent tour companion.

Chevelle took the stage around 10:15, providing an entertaining and interactive experience to the crowd. Accompanied by dence fog, green and deep blue lighting the stage defiantly set to provide a Sci –Fi feeling and allow the audience to be abducted by the trio.

It was immediately down to business as the intricate rifts of the first song began as the crowd exploded. Pete travelled across the stage ensuring to not neglect anyone from the audience. Vocals were right on point as the Marquee filled with energy from the performance. The crowd loved the musical journey they were on. The venue was not filled to capacity, however, this was an advantage as it allowed concertgoers to move freely to the music and not just stand there listening to it.

Clips from various movies would play providing transitions between songs and at times Pete would interacting to the crowd, at one point stating the obvious “As you can see know we’re sort of into the whole alien thing now.” But then followed by a surprising request, “ Oh and if anyone’s had any alien encounters we’d love to talk to you after the show” some members of the audience laughed others seemed very excited by the opportunity.

Chevelle set list was dominated by their latest effort, Sci-Fi Crimes featuring “Sleep Apnea”, “Jars”, “Letter From A Thief”, “Roswell Spell” and others. The Trio also played fan favorites such as “The Red” “Send the Pain Below” from Wonder What’s Next, and “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)” from This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In during their 90 minute set.

Overall, it was a dynamic night of music. As I drove past the tour busses shortly after midnight, I couldn’t help but wonder about the small crowd that remained patiently waiting. Were they just dedicated fans or did they have they had alien abduction stories for Chevelle?  Your guess is as good as mine!

Concert Photos: Chevelle

Chevelle performed at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, AZ on 10.27.2009.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Baldwin

Pick of the Week: Chevelle w/ After Midnight Project

Tue, October 27

Chevelle w/ After Midnight Project