Show Review: Michelle Chamuel @ Chop Suey (December 2nd, 2014)
On December 2nd, 2014, Michelle Chamuel, runner-up from season 4 of NBC’s “The Voice,” played Chop Suey in Seattle, and was absolutely incredible. Electronic act Christopher Norman opened the show with his first solo synth performance of his newest album Process. This included a great new song and one of my favorites, “Sacrifice.” (You should check out the music video below; it’s awesome.)
Michelle came on stage and picked up her bass guitar, which was a bit of a surprise because she’s usually on keys. Chamuel is such a talented, hardworking and versatile performer. Each performance is different and new and she really takes every opportunity to raise her showmanship. Her friend and former bandmate from My Dear Disco and Ella Riot, Tyler Duncan, played keys with amazing accuracy and fluidity, a vital team member and collaborator. The newest addition to the team, Julian Allen, cleanly and crisply rocked the drums with an emphasis on his closely mic’d bass kick. Michelle has carefully molded her Face the Fire album into a fine-tuned live performance that is aurally titillating with a pop sound that gracefully incorporates music that is on the fringes of having mainstream appeal.
What I personally enjoy about Michelle is that her music tells a story and every song is linked together in some fashion. Each one is so lyrically strong and has an addictive hook. I can tell she’s a perfectionist, and she really delivered a flawless musical and vocal performance that was so fun to watch and get to be a part of; great to dance to, as well. I really just wish I could go back in time and relive that night.
Michelle Chamuel has got amazing talent and she puts in the work to back it up. She really is a diamond in the rough and besides being a runner-up on “The Voice,” she is relatively undiscovered, allowing her to play to smaller audiences. She and her groups My Dear Disco and Ella Riot have a history of great live shows. Her girlfriend Mary Lambert, originally from Everett, WA, now lives in Amherst, MA with the artist/producer.
Walking on stage wearing her signature thick black glasses, Michelle Chamuel received a warm welcome from local fans at Chop Suey. Chamuel performed to a large crowd here in Seattle, singing songs from her newest album Face the Fire, which will be released in February of 2015 via The End Records. Chamuel also did a song from her days as Reverb Junkie, the name she went by for previous albums. Face the Fire will be her first full album under her own name. She did several covers including Zedd‘s “Clarity,” a song she performed on “The Voice,” and Mary J. Blige‘s “Real Love.”
Tonight Chamuel will be at the Constellation Room in Santa Ana, California, and then she finishes up the Turn it Up tour with shows in Dallas, Houston and Chicago. For dates and ticket information visit www.michellechamuel.com.