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Review Thu May 08 2014
Chromeo Flaunts 'Fancy Footwork' at Lincoln Hall, 5/5
Hundreds of twenty-something funk seekers packed into Lincoln Hall for a sold-out Chromeo show on Monday night. Lucky for them, the Canadian electro duo was on point, bringing their '80s-reminicent beats, silly lyrics and sex appeal for a special show on Cinco de Mayo -- dubbed "CIN-CHRO de MEO" on their Twitter account.
Loud chants of "Chromeo...OOOOOH!" welcomed guitarist Dave 1 (David Macklovitch) and keyboardist P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) onto the stage as they sauntered over to their instruments while the "Intro" of the band's sophomore album, "Fancy Footwork," began to blare throughout the intimate venue.
Then they officially kicked things off with a couple of the most infectious songs from 2010's "Business Casual." Somewhere between "Night by Night" and "Host Mess," Dave 1 took the opportunity to show off an impressive talent. He stood in the middle of he stage, commanding all of the attention, as the almost unbearably incandescent strobe lights converged on his reflective guitar. But he really wowed everyone, including himself, when he directed one of the beams up to the disco ball, causing little lights to dance amongst the crowd.
Dave 1 looked like a hipster version of Fonzie with his leather jacket, coiffed hair and black sunglasses. The charm, seductive voice and guitar skills don't hurt either. P-Thugg -- clad in Chromeo merch -- hung out on his private Keyboard Island, laying down synths and occasional modulated banter, for most of the show. But he grabbed his bass to join Dave 1 in the middle of the stage for a couple of songs.
The wildly popular band's stage presence rivals their musical talent, especially when they stand back-to-back playing their instruments. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands, making them clap and scream on command, with minimal effort.
After expressing how happy they were to be in Chicago, they really showed their love by playing the obvious crowd-pleaser. "Bonafied Lovin.'" Even though it was expected, that didn't make it any less awesome.
A majority of the songs Chromeo played were off of "Fancy Footwork," but they also busted out a few songs from their upcoming album, including already established fan favorites, "Sexy Socialite" and "Jealous (I Ain't With It)," and the unreleased "Frequent Flyer."
The "Chromeo...OOOOOH!" chants that enthusiastically began the show resumed at the end of the set to urge the pair to come back out for their encore. This time, they sounded more like the "Winkie Chant" from "The Wizard of Oz," when the Wicked Witch's guards marched around the castle at the end of the film.
Dave 1 and P-Thugg ended the show with a three-song encore, which was fitting because it featured a song from each of their three most recent albums. Things started off a little slowly with a new song no one was familiar with, but resumed to Chromeo's maximum danceability with "Don't Turn the Lights On."
The duo certainly succeeded in reminding the audience why they deserved the self-given title of "funk lordz." The 90-minute show was short, but sweet. Although it seems they're sticking with a fairly uniform set for their "Come Alive" tour, they deliver a dynamic show that won't disappoint, even if you're just a really big fan of "Bonafied Lovin.'"
Chromeo's fourth studio album, "White Women," which drops on Monday, features collaborations with Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, Toro Y Moi, Solange, to name a few.
Set list
Intro
Night by Night
Hot Mess
Tenderoni
Come Alive
Bonafied Lovin'
Sexy Socialite
Momma's Boy
Over Your Shoulder
Jealous (I Ain't With It)
Fancy Footwork
Needy Girl
Encore
Frequent Flyer
Don't Turn the Lights On
You're So Gangsta