Chevelle energizes opening night crowd at New York State Fair
Chevelle energizes opening night Fair crowd
Bright lights, guttural screams, bug-eyed aliens and familiar chords. These were just a few of the sights and sounds fans experienced as hard rock band Chevelle performed Wednesday on the Chevy Park Stage at the New York State Fair‘s opening night.
Concertgoers were treated to an 80-minute-long set featuring old and new songs, including “deep cut” tracks, as the band favorably put it.
This was not Chevelle’s first time entertaining New York State Fair crowds as the band also took the Chevy Court Stage in 2017.
The band, composed of brothers Pete (vocals and guitar) and Sam Loeffler (drums), and touring bassist Kemble Walters, got the crowd energized immediately by opening with their song, “Verruckt,” off their latest album, NIRATIAS.
With devil horns in the air, fans bobbed their heads to popular hits like “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along),” “Face to the Floor” and “Hunter Eats Hunter.”
The band’s mix of melodic guitar riffs and explosive vocals was enough to get fans out of their seats and along the barricade, inching to get closer to the music.
The moment most fans, young and old, had been waiting for came as Pete addressed the crowd through the familiar beginning guitar strums of one of their biggest songs, “Send the Pain Below.”
“This is quite old, too, isn’t it?” he said before belting out the words.
Fans immediately recognized the hit off their popular 2002 album “Wonder What’s Next” and passionately sang along.
This passion intensified when the ending of “Send the Pain Below” began to slowly move into the guitar strums of Chevelle’s biggest hit, “The Red.”
The sea of fans held their breath.
“Speaking of old s— and old songs,” Pete said. “Going to dust this one off for you.”
Fans erupted in cheers as Pete began singing a version of the song only led by his guitar, with the rest of the band joining in for the second chorus.
“Tell me you’re not done by screaming your minds out,” Pete Loeffler yelled before moving into “Comfortable Liar.”
The band’s infectious energy was felt right to the end as they concluded the night with the song “Mars Simula,” off its latest album.
And as the set ended, so lucky fans clamored to preserve their newfound Chevelle memories, rushing to snag setlists, drumsticks and guitar picks as roadies cleared the stage.
is a photographer for The NewsHouse.
