One of my favorite things about Chevelle: they don't just make music. They create an experience that demands to be felt in the present moment. They've been doing that since 1995. I was just a year old when Chevelle came to be, but thanks to my parents' superb taste in music, I became a Chevelle fan as a kid and I've been one ever since. They continue to pick up new fans through the generations while older fans stick around, and that's probably why Arizona Financial Theatre was packed wall to wall with people of all ages. Chevelle doesn't follow trends, and people love them for it. They're not trying to be anything but who they truly are, and that sincerity draws people in and keeps them there. They know how to keep us hooked, and that's why I'll never miss a Chevelle show in my city.
With support from Dead Poet Society and Asking Alexandria, the night was primed for head banging. Celebrating Chevelle's much-anticipated 10th album, “Bright as Blasphemy,” released in August, seasoned fans and younger rockers alike came together to let loose, crowd surf, and mosh with reckless abandon.
Dead Poet Society is newer to my personal playlists, but I had a few songs I knew I wanted to hear live. I wasn't disappointed. The people I could see in the front rows were grinning and bobbing their heads. I'd be willing to bet anyone who didn't know Dead Poet Society before the show went home and looked them up to hear more. There's an addictive quality to their music with some songs having a somewhat pop-like twinge, and some songs hitting heavy with gritty riffs that echo the grunge era. They brought the energy we needed to get in the mood for more.
Next up was Asking Alexandria. I was beyond excited for their set because the last time I saw them live, I was just 17. The teen in me was thrilled to relive those memories of barely surviving Warped Tour in my Converse on a burning hot blacktop in the middle of summer. Ah, those were the days. Fast forward 13 years and now I'm taking photos in the pit right in front of Danny and the rest of the band. It almost didn't feel real. The band used the whole stage, jumping and spinning around and amping up the crowd. Danny brought his familiar crowd-pleasing energy, grinning at his fans, and belting out those unmistakable screams. The guy still has it and the crowd ate it up – especially when they pulled out "The Final Episode" as their final song. Everyone lost their minds. I could hear the crowd roaring from the hall. They were sufficiently warmed up for Chevelle.
The giant LED screen flickered with various graphics as an electronic backtrack hinted at Chevelle's arrival to the stage. The first notes of "Family System" rang out as the 3-piece band were lit up by stage lights. A chorus of thousands of roaring cheers filled the venue amidst Pete Loeffler's gorgeous vocals and iconic guitar riffs, Sam Loeffler's heavy-hitting drum beats, and Kemble Walters' immersive bass patterns and backup vocals. For a 3-person band, they put out a massive sound.
The set list had the perfect mix of fan favorites across the whole discography, with a few off the new record which fit in perfectly with the older songs. I was obsessed with the lighting – beams of bright yellow, blue, red, and flashes of white, timed with the music, illuminated the venue and added gorgeous atmosphere to the whole experience. The band was spread out across the stage, with the drum set off to the left side. I personally love when the drummer isn't tucked away in the back of the stage. I feel like we can hear and see them better when they're closer to the front. Chevelle's setup is simple yet effective, with each band member staying in their spot atop their own sprawled out area rug, giving kickass garage band vibes.
Just before they went into "Pale Horse" from the new record, words flashed in big typewriter-style letters across the LED screen as thousands of Chevelle fans listened to a deep, grumbly male voice recite: "The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. But when it uses you, when it becomes master, it becomes destructive. We are constantly scanning, labeling, judging, missing the world in front of us. You don't need to explain the wind or the rain or the sound of leaves. You just need to listen. And in listening, not with your mind but your whole being, you discover something strange: reality doesn't need your control. It needs your presence."
Sobering and somewhat chilling? Yes! But the quote did its job. It stopped me in my tracks. I stood there with my camera in hand and just watched. I took in what I was seeing and hearing, fully in the present moment. The crowd was just as mesmerized.
I'm a bibliophile, so of course I had to look up where the hell this quote came from after the show ended. There had to have been a reason why Chevelle chose to include this between songs. So, if we're of like minds, you'll be interested to know that the quote is Chevelle's spin on an excerpt from the 1997 #1 New York Times Bestseller "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckart Tolle. My impression was that the band was making a connection between the quote and some of the philosophical themes in the new record, while reminding the audience of the power of their minds and their ability to control the present moment simply by just being present, not by thinking so deeply or trying to control the moment itself. A subtle reminder for a modern-day audience who at any given time might become easily distracted by a buzz in their pocket.
Pete's vocals were a little raw, which he addressed before he kicked off "Hats Off to the Bull" towards the middle of the show. Seven weeks of touring takes its toll on the vocal cords, but the crowd was more than happy to oblige his request to help him out with the vocals here and there. Pete still put on an excellent show, and considering ours was near the end of the tour, his vocals were pretty spot-on. He was still belting out those screams we know and love. Hey, we've had 30 years of Chevelle, so you have to appreciate his ability to keep his voice in such good shape all these years, while understanding if he needs to take it easy here and there. Flashing back to the quote above, we spend so much time scanning, labeling, judging, missing the world in front of us... when all we really need to do is appreciate the present moment: Chevelle kicking ass.
“Bright as Blasphemy” continues the conversation Chevelle started in their first few albums, with a bit more of a philosophical twist. Hearing the new songs live is a must. Catch them at their next dates:
9/26 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Palladium
9/27 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic
9/28 - Redding, CA - Redding Civic Auditorium
9/30 - Idaho Falls, ID - Mountain America Center
10/1 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
10/2 - Airway Heights, WA - Northern Quest Resort & Casino - BECU Live
10/4 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock
Here's a look at the stacked set list:
- "Family System"
- "Self Destructor"
- "Rabbit Hole - Cowards, Pt. 1"
- "As Island"
- "Joyride (Omen)"
- "Face to the Floor"
- "Pale Horse"
- "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)"
- "Hats Off to the Bull"
- "Jim Jones - Cowards Pt. 2"
- "The Clincher"
- "Forfiet"
- "Send the Pain Below"
- "Prove to You"
- "The Red"
- "Comfortable Liar"
- "I Get It"
- "Mars Simula"
