I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: August 7, 2015] CHAPPO

I bought tickets to see the Flaming Lips at Musikfest (opening night headliners!).  By the time the show came around it was announced that there would be two opening acts.  Local Bethlehem band Voirvoir and Brooklyn band CHAPPO.  I had listened to the Voirvoir album streaming and I really liked it.  So I decided to get to the show at 6 to check them out.  Well, I didn’t realize how chaotic Musikfest was.  So between the parking and the shuttle bus and finally finding the venue I got to the band as their final chord rang out.  I didn’t even get to actually see them, just head then end of their last song.

But since I liked the stream I listened to, I bought the album… and it is fantastic.  I will post more about it shortly.  They are also playing again (3 times!) on Saturday at Musikfest, so I may try to bring the family down to check them out.

Since I was then plenty early for CHAPPO (whose music I didn’t stream because I knew I’d be seeing them), I walked around the grounds and checked things out.  And by the time I got back to the seats I was dehydrated and feeling a little unwell.  So even though I was in row H, I sat further back in the shade with a cold water.  And at first I wasn’t too impressed with CHAPPO.  The songs were good but I think the mix may have been off (or, more likely I wasn’t feeling great).

But I was watching the people up front having a great time, and I enjoyed that the singer was throwing things into the audience (turned out to be tubes with confetti (fun!)).  And I enjoyed watching the guitarist use a bow in his guitar (how many times this summer?).  And after a few songs, some water and the shade creeping into my section, I decided to head up to my seat.  And that when CHAPPO won me over.

The songs were interesting with lots of complex parts.  I appreciated that the bass was handled by the keyboardist, Chris Olson (a good bass sound, not a synthy one). And that he played some really cool textures and noises as the songs went on (especially as the songs ended).  And the guitarist, Dave Feddock. was really doing some great things up there–lots of harmonics, and interesting chords, tapping and playing with all kinds of gadgets at his feet (and the bow one more time).  Drummer Zac Colwell kept the beat and seemed to really pound the cymbals (there was a percussionist briefly, but I have no details on him).  But the star of the band is the lead singer, Alex Chappo.

I was instantly intrigued by him, because he came out in a leather jacket (it was nearly 85 degrees when he came out) with feathers on the shoulders an a big eye painted on the back.  I figured he was a showman.  And he was.  He was forever upbeat, inviting the crowd to dance or stand up (it’s not against the law in Pennsylvania to stand up).  He had a very fun tone.  And his singing was really strong with an impressive falsetto.

And the songs definitely sounded better as I got closer too. I don’t have any idea what the songs actually were though, since I can’t find a setlist for them! but in listening to them now on this Audiotree show, I can pick out a few..

Alex Chappo had thrown most of his confetti sticks out into the audience and for the last song he encouraged everyone to stand.  And then he climbed down off the stage, walked across the chairs (with a very long microphone cord) and came out to the audience.  He stood in the row in front of me and held out his hand to get me to stand (which was pretty cool, I must say).  Then he gave someone else a hug and then sat down next to another guy to sing the end of the song. 

It was the most fun audience interaction I’ve seen (topping Weird Al only because there were fewer people in the audience which allow Chappo to go a little deeper than Al could).

By that time I was sold on the band, so I bought their new release at the merch table (I also love the shirt design (see below–but did not get it).  I’ll do a more formal post about the disc in a few days, but I was really blown away by how much more subtle the album is.  There’s some great layering of vocals, and the songs are really complex and interesting  The album is a little more trippy than they sounded live, which I like.

I’m delighted to have found a new band with so much character that I like so much.  And to have found a band that made me a convert from not feeling great at the beginning of the show to standing and laughing by the end.  Perhaps CHAPPO healed me?

Some songs they played (anyone there want to let me know how I did?):

• “Hell no”
• “Come Home”
• “Bodies Coasting”
• “Hang On”
• “I’m Not Ready”
• “I Don’t Need the Sun”
• “Run Me Into the Ground”
• “Mad Magic”
• “Ghetto Weekend”
• “Celebrate”