Music Review: Chevelle & Nothing More in St. Louis

St. Louis - It had been way too long since I rocked out in person. It recently dawned on me that I hadn't been to a rock show in years, perhaps dating as far back as Chevelle in November 2009. Yowza, right?

Chevelle started touring this month and St. Louis was the second stop on April 5 at a stellar venue called The Pageant. The icing on the cake was the opening band, Texas rockers Nothing More. I heard about the San Antonio quartet from The Music Enthusiast blog that follows the local Dallas rock scene. This so had to happen.

It made for the perfect weekend getaway. Nothing More opening for Chevelle in St. Louis, roughly 3 hours, 45 minutes away from our residence in Overland Park. Balcony seats were available at an affordable price.

The best part of the concert was meeting Jonny Hawkins (at left), lead singer of Nothing More, after their set. We instantly related to each other, discussing topics ranging from general Texas awesomeness, to living the engaged life (he recently got married), to the local Dallas rock scene. The five-minute conversation time-warped me back to the mid-2000s when my brother Dave and I used to talk with Kirk Baxley, lead singer of Greatness in Tragedy, after his shows. He was genuinely nice, expressing gratitude for our support while inquiring about our interests and remembering our faces every time. Jonny was the same way. It made me so glad to spend my hard-earned money to take the trip.

We arrived in St. Louis on Saturday afternoon, then hit up one of the best Italian places I've ever had for dinner, Trattoria Marcella, before the show. St. Louis knows its Italian. That butternut squash ravioli was no joke.

Then it was showtime. Nothing More opened the concert with a bang, playing their new single that will put them on the national map, "This is the Time (Ballast)." The quartet put on one of the most original, riveting shows I've seen in a long time. There were points where all four band members played snare drums. Jonny led the charge in a controlled chaos type of situation where you couldn't help but be impressed. He also hopped aboard some of the drums and sang verses from on top of this newfound elevated platform. Wild.

They also did another bit where they rotated an electric bass on a stand, 360 degrees. All the way around. In between rotations, Jonny and bassist Daniel Oliver would somehow strike chords and keep a beat. The crowd, clearly unfamiliar with their songs before the show, was digging the live act. Anyone with a pulse and an interest in rock would have found this set impressive. They closed with "Salem" off the Few Not Fleeting album.

Chevelle, fresh off the release of their latest album, La Gargola, followed and did not disappoint. I was familiar with the new album from downloading it on iTunes a week before the show. It kicks my ass to the curb in a good way - still heavy, melodic and persistent.

Here's the setlist. Of particular note was five songs from 2002's Wonder What's Next: Closure, Forfeit, Family System, The Red and Send the Pain Below. No complaints from me. "Take Out the Gunman," the single from their new album, is one of my favorite all-time Chevelle songs - arguably the best. It sounded great live.

Overall, awesome show and trip. It wasn't a big outdoor festival where you're standing uncomfortably for hours on end. Hey, I ain't 20 anymore. Comfort is important! This is a concert I'll always remember fondly. Rock on, amigos.