PHOTOS: BRIGID GALLAGHER | “My name is Chet Faker and I’m going to play you a few songs. I’d be surprised if you didn’t know that already,” he said stepping on stage, taking his place alone but but surrounded by machines—keyboards, synths, and trackpads—sporting an impressive red beard and a big-ass smile. This is the guy? Oh yes, this is the guy whose downtempo version of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” practically blew up the Internet in 2011.
It’s hard not to hit the repeat button on this sweet homage to an R&B classic. Faker’s 2012 EP “Thinking in Textures” came out shortly after the infamous cover was released and his latest and full length debut, Built on Glass came out this year. To support the record, Faker brought his woozy, atmospheric, electro-R&B to Lincoln Hall on Tuesday night and got a sold out crowd to dance all the way through what literally became a really hot set.
Right before the encore, Faker revealed that he had asked the venue to turn off the fans. Though it was apparent that there was quite a bit of off-the-cuff mixing, remixing, and ranting happening—the setlist, the light show, and the temperature were all intentional. I admit I was a little peeved for about a second that he admitted to turning the fans off, but I honestly don’t think the show would have been as sexy if it weren’t for all that body heat.
Faker seemed inspired to talk a lot in between songs and he seized the opportunity upon realizing his crowd was an eager one—fans were whooping and singing and dancing the entire time. Chet Faker is not a fake artist and he really wanted everyone to know it.
“I’m considered an independent artist. Which means I write my own music, I record my own music, I perform my own music, and I produce my own music…juggling all these balls to put it out and just have it on the internet… So, for you guys to love my music enough to find me all the way from Australia to Chicago, it’s a good time and it feels good! We’re going to take this right back to where it all began. Right on the big bad internet. Smoke ‘em if you got one, sing along if you know the words.”
You could probably guess what song he started up next (shorty get dow-owwwn..) and then launched straight into one his more popular collaborations with Flume, “Drop the Game.”
“I think it’s amazing that a lot of people are into electronic music now because you have to be very open-minded. But I also think people are just kind of getting away with pressing buttons and doing nothing on stage. So, I try to incorporate into my set some moves where I can fuck up…completely. So please enjoy, motherfuckrs, and don’t judge me.”
Faker then started up a spacey, hollowed out freestyle with substantial bass drops and hard blips in between beats of silence. It was kind of hard to tell if he fucked up, but it didn’t matter if he did. Everyone was loving it.
Even live, Faker’s vocals are so crisp. I couldn’t tell if there was any adjustment to the mic, but all I know is that hearing the controlled vibrato and beautiful trills in his voice made me wonder what would happen if he just went for it with his vocals like he does with his beats and sexy lyrics. You can tell that he just doesn’t sing soulfully, he is soulful.
The entire show was too short and there was an immediate demand for “ONE MORE SONG!” from the enthusiastic crowd. I won’t give away what Faker pulls off for the encore but it really ended the entire evening on a high note and is worth sticking around for if you happen to catch him at a show (which you should, it will be guaranteed fun.)
You can pre-order the very pretty 180 gram clear vinyl of Chet Faker’s debut album, Built on Glass now on yes, …the internet.
OPENER, SWEATER BEATS
