The long-running Chromeo-headed “When the Night Falls” tour rolled into House of Blues, Boston this past Tuesday. A near capacity crowd enjoyed a good three hours of ok to great music from electro party duo Chromeo, Detroit soul singer Mayer Hawthorne, and beats DJ Breakbot.
We’re big Mayer Hawthorne fans here a b3sci so we were stoked to catch some of his latest material (off his new How Do You Do LP) live. We certainly weren’t disappointed in that department. As MH’s set straddled the best tunes from his debut A Strange Arrangement LP (one of our favorite albums of 2009) and songs from the new album. Mayer delivered a high energy, fun, kinetic set that kept most of the HOB house (which probably skewed 75/25 Chromeo fans) engaged and interested. Highlights from the set included SA‘s “Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin'” and “Shiny and New” as well as new tracks like single “The Walk” and the Detroit-inspired “A Long Time”. Having seen Mayer a few times before in smaller venues, the sheer size of HOB Boston seemed a bit much for his sound and style. Like, with Mayer’s music and persona, you want to feel like he’s singing to you or for you or something like that and inside the cavernous concert McDonalds that is HOB the set felt a bit disconnected in that way. That said, we still had a great time and really enjoyed Mayer’s performance.
Chants of “CHROME-OH-OH-OH” a la The Wizard of Oz filled HOB as the Canadian duo took their places on stage. From the first stab of P-Thugg’s keyboard rig onwards the place was electric. Chromeo had complete command of what quickly became a sprawling, frenetic, chaotic cascade of pot-smoke and whirling limbs. The place was absolutely nuts, maybe as live as I’ve seen the Boston House of Blues, just absolute mayhem. The duo rifled through an approx. hour-long set of “Chromeo classics” including the funkified “Tenderoni”, the funkier “Hot Mess”, and the supremely funky “Call Me Up”. Chromeo came hard and delivered. The kids danced, the kids moved, the kids got psyched, got hyped, and seemed to leave satisfied.
Chromeo 
(Official) (Facebook)
Mayer Hawthorne 
(Official) (Facebook)
Breakbot 
(Facebook) (Soundcloud)
Reviewed by b3
Comments ▾
November 6, 2011
No respect for Breakbot? It really is such a shame Boston doesn’t have the fan base for him. Give him a chance!
Submit a Comment