What’s Old is New Again: A Night at Town Ballroom with The Chameleons
I typically don’t go into reviews completely blind. Even if I haven’t heard of the band, I’ll normally take some time to do research and see what it is I’m getting myself into. Having not written a review in a while, I decided to go into The Chameleons’ performance at Town Ballroom on Wednesday, August 14th blind, and I’m so happy that I did because I had my mind BLOWN.
Deluxxe, a local new wave band, opened the night with an exciting seven-song set. The group looked like a metal or punk band at first glance, with tattooed sleeves, shaved heads, and black clothing, which makes sense as they are also members of local punk and hardcore bands.
Their influences show in their music. Drummer Nick Terlecky provided tight, solid, loud and innovative drumming, his playing reminding me of Travis Barker. I had trouble hearing vocalist Mason Hutchins in the mix but what I did hear reminded me of a mix between Less Than Jake’s urgent, scratchy vocals, a soaring modern rock/emo tenor, and authentic early 80s new wave influences.
Overall, their music felt like an authentic new wave throwback with modern emo/pop-punk influences. Their sound is well-layered with each musician equally playing in a vital row in the band’s cohesive sound. They were well-received by a ⅓ filled Ballroom.
A Cloud of Ravens, from Brooklyn, played second and felt old and tired compared to what Deluxxe brought to the room. A two-person project can be great in the studio but live, this just feels like new-wave karaoke. The band has a dark, gothic sound, reminding me of Echo and the Bunnymen. Vocalist/guitarist Matthew McIntosh sang, guitar in hand, absently hitting chords, while the backing tracks did all of the heavy lifting. A lot of the low-end from the pre-recorded keyboard parts drowned out the bassist. Can you imagine that? A two-person band drowned out by their own backing track.
Having just two people on stage can also sap your stage presence if neither band member engages with the crowd. Bassist Beth Narducci’s stage presence gave an aura of “I’d rather be literally anywhere else right now.” This is where a backing band can pick up the slack. The backing tracks seemed poorly mixed and EQ’ed, making the performance horribly undynamic and dooming it from the start. The drums were too quiet and the keyboards too loud. A rather indifferent crowd mostly stood still during their set.
For a little history, The Chameleons are a 1980’s post-punk/new wave band from England. They released three albums between 1983 and 1986 before breaking up for over a decade following the death of their manager. They reformed in 2001 just to break up again in 2003. These new Chameleons were reformed in 2017. These legends have been said to have influenced 80s icons like U2 and Echo and the Bunnymen.
The Chameleons stormed on stage, guns blazing. Whereas CoR’s muted drums fit the 80s sound, the bright guitars, stripped-backed vocal reverb and booming drums feel like a deserving update to the band’s 80s sound. The crowd was instantly engaged. From their recordings, I was expecting something more like The Smiths or The Cure, but their live sound reminds me of late-stage new-wave Clash with a little Stiff Little Fingers mixed.
They’re touring performing their classic 1986 album, Strange Times. Mark Burgess commanded the stage, smiling ear-to-ear the entire time, emoting his lyrics with urgency and wrapping the crowd around his finger. His small stature and moppy haircut made him look like the lovechild of Steve Perry and Davy Jones. He mentioned during their set that they didn’t get to tour much during the original run and that they are having a blast touring now. It absolutely shows. The band is dynamic and tight.
The Chameleons delivered a rousing show, playing Strange Times in its entirety before venturing off into the rest of their catalog. How time forgot about this great band is lost on me. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to discover them now and I’m adding Strange Times to my Spotify rotation immediately!
