Chevelle Concert in Cape Town

American alternative music group head to the Mother City for a rocking show

Rock out to the iconic sounds of platinum-selling, alternative rock group Chevelle at a one-night Cape Town concert at the GrandWest Grand Arena on Friday, 31 May 2013.

Formed back in 1995 in Chicago, the American rock trio was originally due to deliver their unique alternative sound at the 2011 Oppikoppi Unknown Brother festival. However, after having to postpone this trip to Mzansi, the band is now decidedly overjoyed to be making good on their promise to play to audiences in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Though the line-up of the band has changed over the years, founding members and brothers  Pete Loeffler (lead vocals/guitar) and Sam Loeffler (drums/percussion) remain the backbone of this powerhouse rock ensemble; Pete and Sam's brother-in-law, Dean Bernardini, joined the group as bassist in 2005.

While the band’s debut album, “Point No.1” (Point #1), was well received and garnered a few awards, it was their second album, “Wonder What’s Next”, that took audiences by storm; it went platinum after debuting at number 14 on the US Billboard 200.  More recently, the three-piece rock grouped released their sixth album, “Hats Off The Bull”, as well as the first-ever collection of their hits, “Stray Arrows: A Collection of Favourites”. In 2012 they toured extensively, selling out shows and supporting big names in the alternative music sphere, like Evanescence and Audioslave.

Their rock-out success has not been without controversy though. After apparently unwittingly signing with a Christian rock label, the group’s secular albums made it into Christian stores and they were branded as a religious rock band. After this, the band took flak from Christian groups who took issue with the trio’s decision to tour with bands like Cradle of Filth, an ensemble accused of incorporating satanic and anti-Christian themes into their lyrics.

However, in a bid to distance themselves from the unfortunate association, Sam jokingly stated in an interview that they were “recovering Catholics."

Nevertheless, the group has commented that the religious controversy is “not that big of a deal”, and they’ve resigned themselves to their fate, stating that “it was really an accidental thing”.

On the other hand, some reviewers have religiously compared Chevelle to Los Angeles rock band Tool, even though the two bands share only a few similarities. Regardless of who they sound like or who they worship, one thing is for sure, Chevelle’s spark has not faded over their 18-year career, and audiences are in for a rocking alternative show.

Opening acts for the Chevelle Concert in Cape Town

Shadowclub and Woodstock Mafia are billed as supporting acts for Chevelle’s Cape Town concert. Shadowclub describe themselves as a back-to-basics kind of band, and their rootsy, bluesy rock tunes are purposely kept fuss free. Cape Town-based group Woodstock Mafia use a blend of hard grunge and alternative rock tunes to deliver thumping, high-energy live performances.

Tickets for the Chevelle Concert in Cape Town

Tickets are available via Computicket.com and Computicket outlets and cost R450p/p for the golden circle (standing), R400p/p for general access standing tickets and R350p/p for seated spots. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the concert starts at 7:30pm.

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