Who doesn’t appreciate the smooth and rhythmic disposition of an old school R&B jam? There are not many who would be able to withstand its seductive musical cues that either gets you in “the mood” or simply in the mood to dance. I treated this past Tuesday as one long upbeat jamming session of the old school variety. Montreal’s Chromeo performed Tuesday evening at the Marquee Theater, along with French Dj Breakbot, and Detroit’s lovely Mayer Hawthorne. They brought with their performance a hearty helping of funk, rhythm and blues.
Breakbot began the trip to “way back when” with a rousing collection of fast-paced beats and sampling from some old school tracks I hadn’t unearthed in years. With a rocky start mired with technical issues, the DJ soon developed an amicable repertoire from the crowd. People had developed an intense connection with his upbeat tempos and transitions. Or in more obvious terms, they started to do the non-dance shuffle, which gradually increased to full-on dance mayhem. The French DJ ate up the affection of the crowd and in turn amped up the hype factor in the crowd.
Next up was the harmoniously delectable Mayer Hawthorne and his band of excellent musicians. Filled with soul and swagger dripping from every sentence is Mayer Hawthorne. A scrawny dude from all the way from Detroit complete with wayfarer glasses, a great laidback feel, with the high tone voice of many a fantastic jazz and blues singer who loses none of his charm in the live arena. Performing tracks from his older material as well as the album he just dropped this past week, his energetic presence gave the concert a kick in all the right ways. With music that is reminiscent of a different era, his funky renditions perfectly set the stage for Chromeo.
Chromeo was on another level. While Mayer Hawthorne may have killed it, Chromeo took it up a notch still. Playing a mix of the songs from their Business Casual, Fancy Footwork, and She’s in Control releases, they had the crowd at their feet within those first few funky electric pulses of sound. Their determination to make sure everyone had a ridiculously fantastic time was not left unheeded, or ignored. Their first encore song even included a tribute to their recently deceased friend/ French producer DJ Mehdi with the performance of one of his cherished tracks and collaborative efforts. This show was definitely a successful trip back in time to days of smooth music and the irresistible urge to dance to the beat.
Ha!: Drunk Girl # 1 who pushed her way in front of everyone, and then asked someone to save her spot when she finally moved. Then Drunk Girl #2 who thought it would be nice to shove everyone as she danced wildly. Then Drunken Girl #3 who also thought it was a good idea to pick a fight directly behind me. The list goes on…
Yay!: A toss-up between Mayer Hawthorne teaching us the “Earl Flynn” (very important Detroit bred dance move apparently) and getting a high five from Dave One from Chromeo as he came down to meet the crowd mid set (it was awesome!)
The Crowd: Very Diverse. Dave One even commented on it. All shapes, sizes, and colors were in attendance. It was a good atmosphere of people coming together to have a good time.
Does Chromeo’s Old School take on music do it for you? Or perhaps you have a music concert tale you’d like to share? Whatever your musical concern, let me know! Email me at gmarsha2@asu.edu, or follow me at @whimsicalwookie.
