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Review Sat Feb 14 2015
Chappo Led Schubas Down the Rabbit Hole on Friday, 2/13
Looking like a mythical bird creature, cosseted in feathers protruding from his shoulders, and with a painted eye coolly and majestically surveying the scene from his back, Alex Chappo of Brooklyn based psych-pop-garage-rock band Chappo led the crowd down the rabbit hole at Schubas on Friday evening.
Baton Rouge native Alex Chappo formed the band with his old elementary school pen-pal and Seattle native Chris Olsen (which is a fantastic origin story) back in 2007. Since then joined by Dave Feddock on guitar and Zac Colwell on drums to become a dynamic foursome, the group is known for their intensely danceable and interactive live performances. They bring to mind the weirdness and wonderfulness of an Of Montreal show (which makes sense since the band opened for Of Montreal at SXSW a couple years ago -- I can see them having overlapping fan bases), minus the huge props on Schubas cozy stage of course.
Being unfamiliar with the band myself previous to the show, I was totally unprepared for the spectacle, but the audience clearly knew exactly what they were getting into, and they were relishing it. Playing from their 2012 album Moonwater and their 2014 EP release Celebrate, Alex Chappo, backed by drummer Colwell and flanked by Olsen on the keyboard and Feddock on guitar on either side, preened and crooned his way onstage through "I'm not Ready," "I don't need the sun" and of course "Come Home" with that oh so addicting "bah na na na/bah na na na na na naww" chorus (I know people don't love it when their favorite indie band's song gets co-opted to sell iPods, but you can't fault Apple their taste).
Chappo's nasal croon emanated out as he shook the crowd into a state of high energy dancing -- everyone from the very front to the very back literally jumping up and down with hands raised on "Come Home".
The band said back in a 2010 interview with The Deli, "We want our audience to get involved. Dance, jump up and down and beat on things...maybe even howl." Achievable dreams -- now that I'm in the know, I'll be sure to give out a howl or two at their next Chicago show.
