Chevelle returned to New York City last night in support of their latest release, Hats off to the Bull. Opening the sold out show were Janus, and Middle Class Rut. Janus played a decent set, but it was nothing compared to their headlining show. Whether it was too early in the night, or they didn’t have time for a soundcheck, their short twenty minute set didn’t do the Chicago rockers justice. They did a great job of warming the crowd up for Chevelle however; frontman David Scotney jumped into the crowd to sing their hit ‘Eyesore’, and then crowd surfed his way back to the stage.

Middle Class Rut were up next. Irving Plaza was packed to the brim by the time they began. The entire set sounded like a never ending and repetitive guitar solo, broken up only when singer Zack Lopez urged the crowd to get moving. The hallways of the venue were full of people that chose to drink in preparation for Chevelle rather than watch Middle Class Rut’s performance.

At 10 o’clock the lights dimmed and Chevelle walked on stage nonchalantly with no backing tracks, and no fancy light show. They proved they didn’t need any gimmicks to put on an incredible show. They opened with Antisaint, continuing with a mix of tracks from each of their five albums. Surprisingly, they only played a few songs from the new album, including ‘Hats off to the Bull’, ‘Face to the Floor’, and ‘Envy’.

Chevelle are one of the few rock bands to remain a trio throughout their career. It’s hard to believe there are only three guys on stage when you hear how powerful their live show is. Pete Loeffler screams through choruses while effortlessly playing lead guitar. It’s easy to see why Chevelle have thrived in alternative rock since their debut in 2002.