Chromeo with MDNR and The Suzan
Saturday, February 5 at 9:30 Club, Washington DC
Unfortunately, my parents decided they had more important things to do than conceive me during what I have heard coined “the awesome eighties.” However, this past Saturday at the 9:30 Club in DC, I came as close as one possibly could come to experiencing the era where several genres of music made their debut. In an effort to achieve acceptance from those who experienced the 80’s, I’m going to incorporate my extensive research of relevant terminology into my review. Enjoy.
Arriving at the club that night, you could spot some spiffy lookin’ cats from a mile away. People were sportin’ the latest 80’s attire, jumpsuits included. Chromeo sold out the joint several weeks in advance and luckily for those who slept on Round 1, a second show was added for the following night. A hip all-girl posse was just starting to groove when I made my way inside. They called themselves The Suzan and they were straight outta Japan! These girls were full of excitement and were bouncing around on stage, warming the crowd up and keeping your feet moving and body grooving. Their sound is quite unlike music you might hear today; a heavy old-fashioned rock and roll influence combined with a modern dance twist. The Suzan put on a bitchin’ performance and finished their set with the entire crowd roaring. MNDR was on deck, and having never heard any music from MNDR before, I was surprised to see the lights dim and only one chick come onstage. A few button presses later and MNDR was in the mix! With tracks heavy on the bass and synthesizers, a CD player of sorts and a pedal board provided the backing band for this one-girl group. It has to be hard to fly solo up there but MNDR pulled it off. Her productions and live vocals created an atmosphere that was not cool; it was the bomb! I thoroughly enjoyed and commend MNDR on her performance. It takes a lot of courage to be a one-woman band and is usually hit or miss.
Chromeo, the raw and righteous band we all came, to see was now inevitable. The crowd shifted back and forth in anticipation, chanting the ever-famous “Chro-me-oh, oh, oh." The chanting worked and the lights dimmed. The intro track to Fancy Footwork exploded with a flash of strobe lighting, and the crowd was juiced. The spiffy looking Dave 1 and P-Thugg made their way on stage and made their way behind their respective legs. Confused by that last statement? Take a look at their attractive instrument stands!
The funk was rolling full speed and Chromeo churned out hit after hit. The crowd could not stop moving if they tried. As a duo, it was hard for me to imagine how they would pull off their huge sound live. However, a tight drum audio track and backup singers helped the boys create a sound bigger than we could have hoped for. With room for live re-interpretations of the songs we were all singing to, both Dave 1 and P-Thugg took us back to a time (I’m going to assume, granted my age and all) where vocoders and synthesizers ruled the dance scene. Their charm and French background had the first few rows filled to the brim with romantics of all shapes and sizes. Chromeo has seen comparisons to the great romantic duo Hall and Oates, and was even able to play alongside Daryl Hall for a special one-off performance at Bonnaroo this past year.
Chromeo has played the 9:30 Club several times before, and made sure to thank those who had supported them from day one. Their choice set was heavy on the new jams, but incorporated everyone’s favorites from their previous albums. Overall the show was boss and I would encourage any of your sly-guys and gals out there to see them as they make their festival rounds this summer.