Chevelle Concert Review

Over a decade later and still selling out venues. Chevelle may have made less than a handful of radio hits but their music has spoken to thousands.

It was a new experience to go to a concert that began at 6:30 PM but with the amount of music that each band had to offer, it was no wonder that they had to start early. Crowds of people were rushing into the Revention Center in Downtown, Houston saturday night. Many were already settled in their seats in the sections above but other rock fans were herding into the standing section like cattle hoping to land a good view of the show.

Los Angeles based band known as AEGES set the tone for 10 Years and Chevelle’s performance. Before Chevelle took the stage, 10 Years pumped the crowd with songs like “Novocaine”, “Fix Me” and closed with their hit, “Wasteland”.

Moments before Chevelle took the stage, people were hypnotized by their phones and occupied with their beers but once guitarists and lead vocalist, Pete Loeffler, strung his electric guitar, all eyes and phones were glued to the stage.

The trio opened up with “Young Wicked” and kept the crowd fueling energy with their eerie hit “Take out the Gunman”. Drinks were spilling, fans were jumping and heads were banging. The crowd sang in unity and rock signs were raised as soon as they heard “Jars” beginning to play.

Any pause between lyrics or during Loefflers guitar solos, crowds erupted in applause, grown women acted like twenty-one year old groupies and men raised their beers and hands to the air.  

Women who looked no younger than forty were ironically falling to the floor during “Face to the Floor” while a sea of phones were visibly Snapchatting “Vitamin R” and “I Get It”.

Chevelle closed their performance with “Door to Door Cannibals” and “Hats Off to the Bull”. Chevelle yelled “Goodnight Houston!” and some of the crowd began to exit.  However, every concert goer should know the best is usually saved for last.

Many waited patiently for an encore. All signs lead to Chevelle returning to the stage for a knockout closing performance. The lights remained off, the stage was lit with a red spotlight glowing over two alien figures in the left hand corner of the stage. Fans were yelling “Encore!” in hopes of hearing Chevelle’s great hits. Die hard fans were not budging.

The trio graced the stage once more and this time it was for an encore of four songs from the “Wonder What’s Next” album that threw them into the big leagues. The red spotlight turned into many spotlights that painted the room with a rose colored hue. One of their 2002 breakout songs, “Red” began to play and the room was once again filled with hundreds of recording phones.

They went on to play some of their older and more recognizable tracks like “Comfortable Liar” and “Forfeit”.

With every last ounce of excitement, fans belted out the closing number “Send the Pain Below”. Beer, cups and hats were thrown across the crowd. The hit song electrified the crowd and band alike. Chevelle once more thanked the crowd and left the stage but this time, no fan was unsatisfied.