Chevelle, Black Map, Dinosaur Pile Up
July 29th, 2017
Sumtur Amphitheater
Papillion, Nebraksa
It’s always a great show when Chevelle comes to town, especially when it’s an outdoor concert at an amphitheater. The history I have with Chevelle goes back nearly 15 years and 14 concert performances. Ozzfest 2002 was my first introduction to the band as they played the festival’s second stage during the late morning hours. Almost 15 years to the day of that Ozzfest performance tonight would mark my 14th time seeing the band on stage.
Tonight was also set to be memorable for a few other reasons. Dinosaur Pile-Up were joining Chevelle on their summer tour, and I’ve been eager to see them again since their Northern Invasion debut earlier this spring. Forming in 2007 and hailing from Leeds, West Yorkshire, Dinosaur Pile-Up have gotten a lot of attention in the U.S. over the past few years.
The release of their 3rd studio album, Eleven Eleven, in 2015 found the band garnering comparisons to the likes of Weezer, Foo Fighters and Nirvana. Seeing founder, vocalist and lead guitarist Matt Bigland on stage, it’s easy to find truth in those. DPU’s live sound is reminiscent of early Nirvana. Bigland’s vocals range from crisp and clear to gravelly and guttural. With the addition of drummer Mike Sheils in 2010 and bassist Jim Cratchley in 2014, DPU have found the perfect recipe for what an authentic rock band should be, something that many other bands never succeed in doing.
Having witnessed their set at Northern Invasion 2017, in front of 25,000 screaming fans, I can assure you that this band gives 100% to their show whether it’s a blistering festival set or a nearly sold out 2,000 amphitheater. I’m eager for the band to hit the road again and for the chance to see them sell out clubs and auditoriums.
Building on the already excessive amount of energy from DPU’s performance, California rockers Black Map maintained the energy level high. The band’s 10 song set focused on their most recent release, In Droves. My first time seeing them, Black Map are what I would call a Party Band.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, and the amphitheater’s crowd grew to a near sold out capacity, the stage lights flashed and Chevelle hit the stage to thunderous applauds.
The band’s 19 song set for this stop of their North Corridor Tour was full of fan favorites and selections highlighting their extensive catalogue. The band’s earlier cuts, like Another Know It All, and The Clincher, mixed perfectly with selections off of Chevelle’s most recent releases. The crowd’s response to Young Wicked, Joyride and An Island was just as bombastic as to the band’s classic tracks. It feels weird to call some of Chevelle’s music “classic” but these guys have been around for almost two decades.
The crowd was a great mixture of older and younger fans. While those fans closer to my age jammed out to Forfeit, The Red, and Still Running, I saw kids not even old enough to legally drive screaming along to I Get It, Rivers, and Jars.
What’s truly amazing though is the length of their set. You can really tell a lot about a headlining band by how long their set was. The majority of this tour’s shows featured a 15 song main set, and 4 song encore. How many bands do you know of touring today that consistently play a 19 song set throughout their tour? There’s a reason Chevelle are still recording new music and touring after 20 years. Because these three men know how to put on an amazing show, and they love every minute of their stage time.
