Chuck’s Papas- The Castle Theatre

By: Elizabeth Zoerner

This weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing three great local bands at the Castle Theater in Bloomington Illinois. I have seen multiple concerts at the Castle Theatre before, so I was super excited to go to this. Before the concert itself, we were able to do our first in-person interview since 2020, with us talking to Chuck’s Papas in the green room. It was an amazing experience being able to see where the artists prepare for their shows and also get to know the band better.

The first band that played was Loose, a band we interviewed here on the station. Loose is a jazz-inspired rock band, with the lead singer playing a keyboard that he wears like a guitar. They all showed up in matching jester costumes, which helped create the fun and whimsical vibe for their set. All the members had amazing stage presence and often would dance together during instrumental parts of their songs. Their high-energy set was an amazing way to kick off the show.

The second band to play was Marble Teeth, a three-piece from Decatur. It is not very often that we see harmonicas used in the local scene, so it was super cool that the lead singer and guitarist were able to play one while still being able to play guitar. Lastly, Chuck’s Papas played, with about an hour-long set. As I have seen Chuck’s Papas many times before, I have become familiar with a lot of their songs, so it was so much fun hearing them at a larger-scale venue. As they just put out a new song a day before the concert, I was super excited to hear the new song live. One thing that stood out to me production-wise was the lighting. It was constantly changing throughout all three bands and the colors helped fit the vibe of the music itself. When arriving earlier for the interview, I saw Harrison of Chucks’ Papas working with the lighting guy, so it was awesome to see how they started and how it looked when they were on stage.