Photo of the Chameleons’ Mark Burgess by Laura Jerele
I have no idea how we got so lucky to have St. Louis added on this tour, because usually bands this profound hit the bigger cities near us but pass us by. But this one I could NOT MISS! The Chameleons’ show at Red Flag was a fantastic (and much needed) respite to the cruel world of American politics on Tuesday night. Their music is definitely a whole vibe, like a dark and mesmerizing swirl of post-punk nostalgia with raw and brooding emotional energy that somehow feels brand new.
The tour brought this legendary band here to play through their classic album, 1986’s Strange Times, in its entirety. And if that isn’t fitting… I certainly don’t know what is. It’s so crazy to see a band with such legendary reverie take the stage with such an understated confidence, but that’s exactly how they showed up. And then there was a wall of haunting yet uplifting sound as they led into “Mad Jack” that pretty much left me in their wake for the next hour and a half.
Playing so well and sounding so rich, it’s an immediate reminder to me (and the crowd) as to why they remain such a revered band in alternative music. This show was so fantastic, the music was so dreamy, and they played it really freaking impressively well. Songs like “Soul in Isolation” and “I’ll Remember” were so perfect, they hit me hard. Vocalist Mark Burgess sounds better than most vocalists half his age. And at times he even favored a young Bono with how he sang, his stance, and his favor of dress with just a vest and jeans. The show was super lush and simply lit, the entirety of the show they were drenched in all red lights. I was immediately transported back to the dark, atmospheric soundscapes that defined not just their beginnings, but so much of post-punk’s beginnings. Yeah, I was in heaven.
The Chameleons gave St. Louis a performance that was extremely impressive, proving that their music has a unique, enduring power and effect. Each song felt like an emotional release taking me on a cathartic journey through themes of alienation, love, and ending up on a path of resiliency. Oh yeah, I definitely needed that. | Laura Jerele
