ROLE MODEL’s “Chuck On Tour”
Written by Eva Longo
ROLE MODEL came out swinging his mic to a chorus of over 4,000 voices singing “Chuck’s Mantra.” The musician ROLE MODEL, aka Tucker Pillsbury, was on the last stretch of his third tour, “Chuck on Tour,” when he made a stop at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre located on the campus of San Diego State University on October 13. The energy in the outdoor amphitheater manifested as an infectious dance party of glitter and hot pink shirts.
Starting out strong with the song “High Hopes” off Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, he set the vibe for an hour and a half long singalong. With only three remaining shows left in “Chuck on Tour,” ROLE MODEL gave a pulsating performance feeding off the crowd’s energy. There was an immediate uproar when the lights went down. After his first few songs, he declared, “You can tell when it’s going to be a good show, and this is going to be a good show!” A few days later, ROLE MODEL announced to an LA crowd that San Diego had been his favorite show of the whole tour and would be a tough crowd to beat.
ROLE MODEL’s studio versions enraptured the crowd, as he morphed into Chuck Timely, a time traveling engineer. His top tier writing was brought to life by the thousands of fans that danced and belted songs the entire duration. The show featured a good mix of his Chuck Timely album interspersed with crowd favorites from his previous album Kansas Anymore.
ROLE MODEL has come a long way in his career and is now able to look back fondly at the small venues and scattered crowds that brought him to his current position. Midway through the show, ROLE MODEL retold the story of when he was performing small, sparsely attended college shows in San Diego during the same week as Coachella. He recalled, “It was this weird group, sad thing… anyways now we are here.” There was no hiding that the crowd loved to see him back in San Diego. He called it his second home, and the audience clearly wanted him to feel at home that night.
A highlight of the show was the fan project during his song “Chasing Midnight.” Fans covered their flashlights in colored paper to make a beautiful display of pink, yellow, and white lights. As he looked admiringly out at the crowd, he said, “We got the stars in here tonight.”
Nearing the end of the show, ROLE MODEL declared the show was no longer his but yours as the crowd belted out the bridge of “Some Protector.” He looked admiringly out at the fans, showing a true love for performing and the community he’s created. The fans inside the arena showed ROLE MODEL their love, but the love spread further into campus than the singer could see. Students were lining up on the SDSU library behind the stage to sing and dance to the joyous harmonies of Chuck Timely.
This is the loudest, most engaged crowd I have had the privilege to be part of. What seemed like a random Tuesday evening turned into a night of dancing, singing, and community so passionate not even the security guards could stop smiling. If this concert is any indicator of the reception ROLE MODEL will receive next time he is in San Diego, he is going to need a bigger venue.