Chevelle Tears Through The Paramount Huntington, NY 12-8-17

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December 15, 2017

No strangers to the road, Chevelle has been touring almost non-stop since July of 2016 when they released their eighth studio album, The North Corridor. Having originally started back in 1995 as a band of three brothers – Pete Loeffler (vocals/guitar), Sam Loeffler (drums), and Joe Loeffler (bass) – growing up in a suburb in Chicago, IL, they recorded a seven-track demo in 1998 that gained the attention of now defunct contemporary Christian music label, Squint Entertainment. The band was signed and soon released their debut album, Point #1, in 1999, and as they say, the rest is history.

Clearly there is much more history to the band than alluded to, but by now everyone in the Hard Rock world are well aware of the success Chevelle has celebrated with numerous chart-topping singles off of their records and overall having sold over four million albums in the United States alone. Still going strong with The North Corridor, Peter, Sam, along with his long time friend and brother-in-law Dean Bernardini on bass, Chevelle offer perhaps one of their darkest, yet heaviest albums to date.

Coming toward the conclusion of their 2017 touring, Chevelle made a stop at The Paramount in Huntington, New York on the evening of Friday, December 8th where fans lined up down and around the block waiting anxiously to get in the venue. Some had seen them recently in New York City as they played Irving Plaza in early July, some had seen them here at The Paramount in August 2016 shortly after the release of their last album. That in mind, odds are there were many stories of past shows and favorite songs shared while passing the time in the chilly weather. Then, as soon the doors finally did open, everyone rushed to get in to secure a good spot on the general admission floor for this nearly sold out show.

Gearing up for a full night of hardcore music, Husbandry started the show. A four-piece band based in Brooklyn, New York, Carina Zachary, Jordan Usatch, Arnau Bosc, and Andrew Gottlieb got the crowd warmed up with several original songs. With a lot of aggression, they won the crowd over with “Sentient,” “Nature vs. Nature,” “So Long Capricornian Crone,” “The Bells Of St. Clemens,” “Elder Spencer Deery,” “Hierba Mala Nunca Muere,” and “The Mark Of Qayin.” Considering this band formed in 2012, they are still young, but you can see they will have a bright future ahead.

Next up was Chevelle’s direct support, Aeges (styled ÆGES), a band based in Los Angeles, California that has a serious following. Many people in the crowd were really looking forward to catching them live, so when Kemble Walters (vocals/guitar), Cory Clark (vocals/guitar), Tony Baumeister (bass), and Mike Land (drums) hit the stage, a roar of cheering hit them hard. They wasted no time in showing that they meant serious business and hit them back with “Southern Comfort” and “The Hunter,” both off their 2016 album, Weightless. The high energy they were putting out was infectious and the crowd clearly loved it. After “Save Us,” Walters commented on how cold it was outside, being they are from warm California and not used to the cold northeastern weather.

They kept the show going with “Clear,” “Weightless,” and “Echoes,” and took time between songs to banter with each other as well as speak to the fans, one point raising a glass and thanking them for being there. After “A Reason Why,” Walters encouraged the audience to scream, which they eagerly did, especially since they were about to play their last song of the night, “Parasite.” Aeges put on a great show and definitely pleased their fans while making new ones too.

As if the floor was not packed enough, more people were inching in and it was getting really cozy on the floor of The Paramount. The time was about to come for Chevelle to take the stage, and you could feel the excitement looming in the air. The house lights dropped and the moment everyone was waiting for took place, out came Pete, Sam, and Dean to a screaming and cheering crowd. The trio blasted out “Young Wicked” for their first song of the night, and immediately a small mosh pit started to grow.

Allowing the audience little time to catch their breath, they hit them with “The Clincher,” “An Island,” and then “Take Out The Gunman.” Shortly after the song was over, Pete announced, “Here’s one we don’t play that often,” and treated them to “Piñata.” Then he said, “Let’s keep this going! Here’s another old one for ya!” and they ripped into “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along).” With the fans keeping up with the band’s every move, they rocked out with them to “Closure,” a song off their newest album, “Joyride (Omen),” before the atmosphere really got wild during “Face to the Floor.”

Keeping the audience completely engaged, they continued with “Still Running,” “I Get It,” and “Jars.” One of the only breaks, Pete took a moment to check in with the fans and asked how they were doing, which was met with a deafening roar, assuring the vocalist they were doing just great. Excited by the response, Chevelle kept right on going with “Saferwaters,” “Door To Door Cannibals,” and the title track off their 2011 album, “Hats Off To The Bull.” Still keeping the words to a minimum, Pete simply stated, “Muchas gracias,” and the stage lights went dark, leading to the notion the performance was coming to an end.

Taking everyone by surprise, Pete came back out on stage and jokingly said, “You’re still here?” He proceeded to talk to the fans and concluded with, “I wrote this song when I was like nineteen. never thought I would be playing it in my forties!” He then began the song “The Red” solo, but after the first verse, Sam and Dean joined him. Then they played “Comfortable Liar” and capped off the night with their chart-topping hit, “Send The Pain Below.” With the house lights up, Pete thanked the audience again and then the trio all joined front and center stage, waving and tossing the usual guitar picks and drumsticks out to the crowd. Adding to the farewell, Pete bent down and picked something up from the floor, it was his set list, he crumpled it up and tossed it way out to the middle of the floor for one lucky fan to catch.

Overall, Chevelle put on an amazing show, completely powerful with an exciting light show. Effortlessly showcasing their talents, these three musicians really know how to rock the audience. Pete’s vocals were brilliantly clear, his pitch was perfect, and he did not hold back on his strong primal screams. Sam and Dean are relentless and kept the beat going long and hard. The tour is wrapping up on December 18th in the band’s hometown of Chicago, but knowing Chevelle, rest assured they will be out and about again real soon. So, next time the opportunity arises, be sure to catch them live for a rocking night you will not forget.