By Cody Thomas

The opening song of any show can usually tell you a lot about the rest of the set list. When Chevelle opened with “Sleep Apnea” at Irving Plaza this past Feb 9th, a show primarily consisting of songs off the recently released “Sci-Fi Crimes” seemed inevitable. The pattern, fortunately, did not hold up.

Pete Loeffler, front man for the band, admitted that they had not played in New York for a very long time. The crowd was excited to hear any set at all, but the energy started out low and the opening moments were plagued by half-hearted sing-a-longs of lyrics yet to be memorized. The crowd’s energy picked up during “Vitamin R,” and by the time the band was ready to play tracks off of “Wonder What’s Next,” probably Chevelle’s most beloved album, the audience was already sold. “Family System” came five or six songs later than most expected, but it was well worth the wait.

Loeffler even decided to adjust the set list twice, acknowledging the crowd’s preference for older and heavier songs. Loeffler demonstrated a superb ability to control the crowd despite being significantly less energetic than the stereotypical hard-rock front man. Like a calm and collective captain, Loeffler led the crowd through spectacular renditions of “An Evening With El Diablo” and “Emotional Drought.” Loeffler did not need to jump around. The audience was energetic enough on their own, making the crowded floor disappear under a constantly shifting wave of fans.

The band remained as mystic and distant as they do on their recordings, keeping the same odd, roughly interpreted intimacy they feature in their albums. The band almost seemed surprised by the amount of energy they were receiving from the fans but used it to create a commanding and memorable performance.