WHAT'S NEXT FOR CHEVELLE?
by Don Sill
"It's kind of a stripped down version of a DVD,' modestly says Sam Loeffler, whose band Chevelle have been riding high off the success on their platinum selling, "Wonder What's Next." Sam is talking about Chevelle's latest live DVD, "Live From The Norva," which captures a day in the life on the road with Sam and brothers Pete, and Joe Loeffler. Shot on May 23, 2003, Chevelle filmed their headline concert date at the Norva in Norfolk, VA. "This DVD was about getting what we're doing right now out so we could remember what it was like when we did this," continued Sam, "it's sort of like a time capsule."
"Live From Norva" doesn't only capture their live show, but director, Sam Erickson also taped the band on their tour bus, backstage, during sound-check, during radio interviews, and even as they walked from their dressing room to the stage. It is a must have for Chevelle fans everywhere. "What we wanted to do with this DVD is just give people the experience as if they're at an actual show," explains Sam. "We just want to play a lot of songs and have it be really intense. I just want people's hair to blow back and we played things pretty close to the way they are on the record because we want people to recognize them. You can tell what songs are what, you know, it's not an 'interpretation' of that song."
The DVD demonstrates how far Chevelle has come since February 2002 when the virtually unknown trio first began touring for "Wonder What's Next". "We've gotten a lot more comfortable and familiar with the audience and that makes it better," says the eldest Loeffler. "Because you don't want to be afraid of the audience and they can tell when you're intimidated or afraid, so I think we got over that a long time ago. I mean, you have to have some confidence to play these stages."
Now, with three hit singles and a platinum album under their belts, the Loeffler brothers are loaded with confidence, but they insist that they're still the same guys from Chicago. "I don't think we really changed that much," Sam says with his usual modest tone. "Except that there's sort of a peace of mind that we have now, or at least I have. I feel that my career path is a little bit surer then it was before. However, that's not necessarily true either because you're only as good as your next record. But I am excited about it and there's a sense of satisfaction. But no matter what if you work really hard you should have that sense of satisfaction."
Chevelle are currently performing their headlining tour with the Campfire Girls and are also prepping to get back in the studio early next year to begin recording their much anticipated follow-up to "Wonder What's Next." "We got like five songs together and we have a whole bunch of different pieces of songs," explains Sam. "That's what we're excited about doing next because when this tour is done we can finally begin another record. They don 't have titles yet because they're so new. We're really trying to keep up with a really interesting outlook, you know, like interesting melodies and then combined with some real heavy double-bass stuff and chunky guitars. That's pretty much what we do because that's what we really like. Man, I'm really excited about the new stuff, just because it's new.We just want to do something a little different for this next record and for this next tour. Our goal is to just keep writing music that we love and hopefully other people will love it too."
