No rain, hail or thunderstorm could keep fans from missing Chromeo’s sold-out “Risky Business Tour” presented by Green Label Sound at the Fox Theater on Saturday, February 19th. The duo’s legions of fans waited in line with umbrellas and plastic bags, while it poured cats and dogs just to be in front of the line to get pit access.
Sharing the stage and opening for the duo were fellow Fool’s Gold label mates and all-girl band The Suzan, as well as MNDR (“Mandar”). In all, the night’s performances could only be summed up in two words: FREAKING AMAZING!
Anticipating the show for days, this was the first time I was able to see one of my all-time favorite groups live. The fact that it was held at the awesome Fox Theater in Pomona made it even better. Show day was filled with eager anticipatory Facebook posts on how amped I was to be heading to the concert—which continued on until the very end of the night.
Getting to the concert right in the middle of The Suzan’s performance, I was pleasantly surprised on how awesome these girls rock. Man, they put on a great show! Familiar with the group, but not a dedicated fan who knew all their songs, I was still getting down to their performance, along with the entire population at the Fox Theater. They sort of reminded me of the band in Kill Bill Vol. 1 that was playing right before Uma Thurman was gonna throw down with Lucy’s Lu’s Crazy 88s. Their upbeat energy oozed from their songs, fueling the monstrous musical energy of the place that was building up for the headliner. Let’s just say, I’m officially a fan of The Suzan now.
Next up was MNDR, who provided hard-hitting electro beats with a cool laser show as the backdrop. MNDR’s frontwoman Amanda Warner was not without her white-rimmed glasses staple, and killed it with their latest single “Cut Me Out.” MNDR’s overall performance was cool, but in my opinion, it seemed that the audience was more pumped for The Suzan’s set.
Finally it was time for the night’s main act…Chro-Me-O,ooooo (which the crowded chanted as their infamous legged keyboards’ lit up and Dave-1 and P-Thugg stepped on stage). Pure musical madness is what came next. Starting off with “Hot Mess,” the crowd’s energy was at its peak, which didn’t die down until the end of the show. Dave 1 was amazing on guitar, while P-Thugg did his thing on percussions/synth setup.
Every song was greeted with cheers as Chromeo continued to play fan favorites, such as “Don’t Turn The Lights On,” “Tenderoni,” “Bonafied Lovin’,” “Night by Night,” “100%” and “Mama’s Boy,” which seemed to get the biggest hype (probably because all the girls most likely dedicating the song their boys).
Being the “woo-girl” that I am, I got my “woo” on to every jam and sang along to all the songs whilst doing some shuffling here and there (all the while trying to take notes for the review in addition to sippin’ a few vodka tonics). When “Fancy Footwork” finally came on toward the end of the set, the audience was in full Chromeo mode and wanting more.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, which sent everybody “awwww-ing” when all the venue’s lights came on. Definitely a kickass show that you won’t want to miss out on next time Chromeo is in So. Cal! Until then, you’ll just have to get your “Fancy Footwork” on at home.
Words & Photos: Kristie Bertucci
