After attending Chalumeau’s release party for their album BLUE at The Met in Pawtucket last August, I wrote that if you ever got the chance to see them perform live, you should jump on it. On Friday, March 13, a room full of Providence music lovers took that advice, and The Parlour on N. Main proved to be just the perfect venue for the next chapter in this band’s story.
If the show at The Met felt like a debut for this group, the Parlour show was like watching the underdog’s 2nd bout in the ring after witnessing them coming out ‘the gate swinging in their first match. The venue was intimate, and the room was packed near capacity. The air buzzed with the excited chatter of music aficionados from all over, collectively taking in the great atmosphere and music. It’s evident that Katherine Bergeron and Butch Rovan understand the interactive nature of a memorable live show, and the space at The Parlour gave that interaction nowhere to hide.
I’m always looking at situations that arise in my life and muttering, “Ain’t Murphy’s Law a b-…” All that is to say that this evening nearly didn’t happen as planned. On Wednesday morning, the band learned that bassist Marty Ballou (RI Music Hall of Famer and part of the rhythm section that had come together to help Chalumeau record new singles last fall) would be unable to make the show due to unforeseen circumstances. Marty had attended multiple rehearsals with the group and had been ready to rock. Now the question on Butch and Katherine’s mind was, “Cancel or try and find a last-minute replacement?” They made the call. Wil Rowland, a talented young bassist and songwriter from Brown University who had played with them before in a more academic setting, said yes without hesitation. In the span of about 15 minutes, they had gone from bassist to no bassist to, almost by a miracle, bassist again. They compiled a gig book containing the charts and recordings and delivered it to him that same afternoon. He learned all ten songs in one day, rehearsed with the band Thursday night, and by Friday was, in Katherine and Butch’s words, “Pretty flawless.”
Rowland was one of four Brown students on the bandstand, joining background vocalist and keyboardist Maureen Klaiber, returning from the ‘BLUE’ album release show, along with alto saxophonists Patrick Rourke and Harry Qin. “They bring an exuberant energy into the mix of seasoned professional players,” Chalumeau noted. “It’s wonderful to have such an intergenerational band, who in turn help bring an intergenerational audience.” That mix was reflected in the crowd on Friday: college students, Providence live music bar veterans, and casual listeners, united by their shared curiosity about what this band is all about.
The set opened with “Blind Ambition,” the full band and horn section rocketing out of the gate with an energy that caught the room off guard in the best way. By the second song, “Lies,” the band got a feel for the sound system and room dynamics and had locked into place with even more tightness. “The whole thing became airborne when drummer Rick Couto kicked into the third song, ‘Candombe,’ while I was still introducing it,” Katherine recalls. “At that point, the crowd realized it was time to boogie: the groove was just fabulous. And things just elevated from there.”
The songs that followed covered a wide emotional and stylistic range that kept listeners on their toes about what to expect sonically from this group. ”Hide” really rocked. Then “La Vérité,” with its French secret, got everyone’s attention in a different way,” Chalumeau reflects on its looping bossa nova pulse. Guitarist Bill Jette shines on the guitar-heavy trio of songs “My Hands Are Tied,” the group’s new version of “Homecoming,” and “Never Give Up.” “The stories I told about the songs seemed to make people pay attention a little more and listen a little bit harder,” Katherine reflects. “Need Me” supplied a groove that alternated between New Orleans R&B and shuffle, and then “No Common Ground” closed the set, reaching its boiling point as Butch left the stage, tenor saxophone in hand, wading into the crowd and blasting a powerful solo that erupted the room. Finally, the crowd began shouting “ENCORE”, and the group once again launched into “Blind Ambition”, the same song that had opened the night.
“Playing at The Parlour, with its intimate vibe, felt very personal and connected for us,” says Chalumeau. “As a relatively new band on the Providence scene, that’s obviously what we are trying to do: make that connection with people, in order to tell our story and build a community. It’s not often that you get to share your music with such a warm and welcoming crowd as we had on Friday night, and we feel truly fortunate and grateful for that.”
As band member Patrick Rourke wrote in a comment on social media after the show, “We need more Chalumeau!” After attending two shows that have each felt like bona fide concerts, I must say I agree with him. The band is cementing themselves as a name to know in the Providence scene, and a community worth being part of before everyone else gets hip and catches on.
Find Chalumeau’s music at chalumeaumusic.com and follow them on Instagram at @chalumeau3000.