Street Scene Day 1 Highlights: Chromeo

Marjana Jaidi / August 29, 2009

Last night at Street Scene, we finally saw Chromeo in all their glory. While we’ve been to several of their DJ sets and seen both Dave 1 and P-Thugg out at different events throughout the year, this was the first time that we actually saw them perform, and to say that they delivered is a vast understatement. Dave 1′s stage personality was the biggest surprise for me – his rockstar persona was reflected not just in his movements, but also in his outfit, which was a rockier version of his usual pants-and-vest combination.

Chromeo was extremely well-received by the San Diego audience, who was chanting “Chromeooooo oooooooohh” (the intro from Fancy Footwork) long before they took the stage. Their stage set-up, which included rows of LED lights, looked suspiciously familiar and may have been courtesy of some brotherly connections.

They started with “Outta Sight”, followed by a selection of songs from both She’s In Control and Fancy Footwork. Midway through the set, Dave 1 took a moment to remember DJ AM, who passed away earlier that day. “He did a lot to bring the DJ culture to the mainstream,” Dave 1 said, “rest in peace DJ AM, you are truly… gangsta“. His brief and heartfelt memorial was the perfect segue into “You’re So Gangsta”.

Their set continued with “Fancy Footwork” and “Your Girl is Calling Me (A Liar)”, before they took a short break. They closed with “Momma’s Boy” and their favorite song off Fancy Footwork, “100%”. Conspicuously absent from their set list was “I Can’t Tell You Why”, their new song from their DJ-Kicks compilation, out September 29.

You can catch Chromeo in NYC at Irving Plaza on October 16.