all photos: Will Shenton
Will Shenton
I love simple concert lineups. As much fun as it can be to sit through four openers (hell, I've found some of my favorite bands that way), sometimes it's nice to actually have a sense of when the headliner will be on. There's also a certain reassuring hubris to a two-act show, as if the bookers didn't feel the need to hedge their bets. In the case of Wednesday night's Roosevelt // Shallou double-feature at The Chapel in San Francisco, the two complemented each other so well that a longer bill would only have distracted from their chemistry.
Shallou, a solo electronic musician from Chicago, took the stage with a second performer to kick things off. I hadn't listened to any of their recordings before the show, but their set had us all rapt by the end of the first song. His style isn't earth-shattering in its originality, utilizing the familiar patterns of a lot of today's futurebeat artists, but the execution was absolutely flawless. Considering his last EP was released at the end of 2015, I'm excited to hear what's next.
Roosevelt, a solo musician as well, surprised everyone (well, at least me) right off the bat by coming onstage with a band. It hadn't occurred to me that his synth-heavy pop would translate well to guitar, bass, and drums, but its roots in disco made that fairly obvious upon reflection. His drummer, who bore a striking resemblance to Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, was endlessly fun to watch, and brought the studio version of the beats to life with high-energy flourishes and a fantastic stage presence. They made for a hugely likable trio, and I'd recommend catching them live if you have even the faintest interest in Roosevelt's music.
