Chandler Travis Three-o at Caffe Lena - 05/10/2012

Chandler Travis Three-o With Pete LaBonne opening

Be charmed, not fooled, by his daft exterior! Chandler Travis has taken the Capital Region by storm in the last couple years, becoming every true-blue music nut's favorite new discovery. He has performed with his nine-piece Philharmonic, his slightly pared down Philharmonette, with his rock outfit the Catbirds, and with this delightful 3+1 "Three-O." The amazing Three-o is our favorite: they can play anything the highly unconventional nine-piece Dixieland/avant-jazz/pop Philharmonic can play, and then some. The focus is tighter, and the songwriting, which has always been at the heart of Chandler's bands, gets center stage in a way that is not possible with the riotous pageantry of the full Philharmonic. In addition to Chandler on guitar and lead vocals, the Three-o features string bassist John Clark, and -jack-of-all-trades (but especially saxophonist, keyboardist, and clarinetist) Berke McKelvey. And, of course, Fred Boak, aka The Valet, for what good is a Three-o with only three people? Chandler is a big fan of songwriter Pete LaBonne and often includes LaBonne's songs in his sets. Tonight LaBonne himself will open the show with his "recklessly creative" songs that are "infused with a depth and humor that can barely be contained." (Chuck Cuminale)