What Went Down…
Straight Up Chumps at Union Brewing Co.
Dateline: Saturday, April 4—I wish I could start by talking about how fantastic Straight Up Chumps were at Union Brewing Company last night. Those signature transitions… wait, is that Stevie Nicks? Is that Dreams… it is! I really wish I could talk about that, but I can’t… their show was stolen from them.
Just yesterday on Instagram, I saw a clickbait post asking: have you ever been to a show where the opening act “steals the show?” In fact, yes—many times. A couple of weeks ago, Booze Hound Bluegrass stole the show from Chicago Farmer. It happens.
BUT… how did it happen last night? The Chumps didn’t even have an opening act?!?!
In a word: Barb.
Barb stole the show.
Who, you might ask, is Barb? Well, we’ll call her “Tiny Dancer”—not because she’s the “seamstress for the band” (Tiny Dancer, Elton John)… but because she’s the unofficial dancer for the band.
Let’s back off a little. Everything I just said is true—except Barb didn’t steal the show… she enhanced it. Barb—and that is her name, because I chatted her up—is a delightful, long-time follower of the Chumps, and the band knows her well.
She danced non-stop. She swayed and sashayed like a psychedelic hippie at Woodstock.
That’s where Straight Up Chumps come in… THEY laid down the soundtrack for her groove—their groove.
Competing against the NCAA Final Four on the bar TVs, the Chumps still managed to capture the room. Casual, indifferent onlookers became engaged listeners. And here’s the thing—they did mix in some familiar hooks: Do It Again (Steely Dan), Dreams (Fleetwood Mac), and a mind-blowing 10+ minute jam of All Apologies / Kashmir / South Dakota—but most of the night was original Straight Up Chumps.
That’s the groove Barb was in… the Chumps groove.
A groove that feels like pure magic—musicians talking to one another without words, making a room come alive in a way that’s funky, eclectic, and mesmerizing.
The Chumps are never the same, but they’re always on their game.
Cheers, guys—well done