Chromeo, 9:30 Club, Washington DC

Funky Montreal-based dance music duo Chromeo have an interesting history. They released their debut, ‘She’s in Control’, in 2004, which included songs with pop, new wave, and r&b influences. But it was 2007’s ‘Fancy Footwork’ album that allowed the band to be featured on numerous tv shows and adverts and ultimately cemented the duo’s popularity worldwide. Lead singer / guitarist David Macklovitch is older brother to award-winning and world-famous DJ A-Trak, so as long as the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you should expect decent beats from the act. And you can, as long as keyboards / synth / bass player Patrick Gemayel is rocking out with what he does best. Chromeo made an appearance at the sold-out 9:30 Club in Washington Monday night, the first night of their North American Business Casual tour to celebrate the release of their new album of the same name coming up in September.

If you consider their major hits - ‘Needy Girl’, ‘Tenderoni’, ‘Fancy Footwork’ - you may be surprised that the Chromeo live show isn’t one continuous assault of the senses by mad beats. There is plenty of funk, but then out of the blue there are simpler pop moments like ‘Momma’s Boy’, complete with Gemayel’s dance hall piano, that make you wonder what all their childhood music influences are. Maybe they had Billy Joel or Hall and Oates on cassette. For sure, the duo know how to pen songs appropriate for radio formats: despite having two full albums and previewing several songs from the forthcoming album, they were able to wing their way to the encore in less than an hour. Shows at the 9:30 rarely end before 11PM. They’re a synth-driven electrodance act. Surely they can draw out some songs into extended, dancier versions from the originals?

This being a club gig, you should expect a measure of intimacy. Too bad it doesn’t feel all that intimate, thanks to a blinding light show that is probably best kept to stadium-sized venues. Sunglasses, as worn by Macklovitch for the entirety of this gig, are therefore advised for all Chromeo performances. The intimacy factor is also tested by the clientele, as this is the kind of act that attracts half naked girls not caring if they bump and grind into the next person while they dance, as well as blokes in costume who thinks it’s cute to grab body parts of girls they don’t know. It’s not.

Dance music heavily reliant on electronics often lacks soul. While one can appreciate Chromeo’s sterling efforts onstage to reproduce their studio sound, their music won’t appeal everyone. And depending on where you see them, the crowd waiting for you at the venue may make you run in the opposite direction.