M'Lou Elkins 
The Chameleons released three albums in the 80’s but due to some rather nasty infighting, they disbanded after releasing their major label debut, Strange Times (1986). Those three albums, however, can certainly be credited with influencing the post-punk revival of the 2000’s, and the Chameleons certainly took advantage of this when they reunited in 2001 and released their fourth album, Why Call It Anything?, before disbanding once again.
Singer/bassist Mark Burgess and original guitarist Reg Smithies reconnected with each other during the pandemic. After they recruited a new lineup, The Chameleons reformed in 2021 and a new album, titled Arctic Moon, was announced.
While we’re waiting for the LP, which is slated to drop later in 2024, the band has just released a three-song EP, Where Are You?, via Metropolis Records / Strange Times Entertainment as a taste of what’s to come. As this is The Chameleons’ first new music in 23 years, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but Burgess’ baritone vocals are still present and as solid as ever.
Listen to the Where Are You? EP below:
“It’s exciting to finally be putting out fresh Chameleons material for the first time in over twenty years, although initially I found it quite daunting,” said Burgess in a press release. “The question about new music is one I had been asked the most from people coming to the shows, a great many of whom weren’t even born when those records were originally made but nevertheless were excited and inspired by the music enough to catch multiple shows on multiple tours.”
The Chameleons hit the road in a few days, starting with a show May 30 in San Diego, CA before wrapping August 17 in Washington, DC. They’ll be playing their 1986 breakthrough album Strange Times in full! Check out the complete list of tour dates below.
The Chameleons – 2024 Tour Dates
May 30 San Diego CA Music Box
May 31 Los Angeles CA The Belasco
Jun 4 Vancouver BC The Pearl
Jun 5 Seattle WA El Corazon
Jun 6 Portland OR Hawthorne Theater
Jun 7 Sacramento CA Harlow’s
Jun 8 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
Jun 9 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
Jun 11 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge
Jun 12 Denver CO Oriental Theater
Jun 13 Kansas City MO recordBar
Jun 14 Dallas TX Sundown at The Granada
Jun 15 Houston TX Dark Ceremony Festival
Jun 17 El Paso TX Lowbrow Palace
Jun 18 Albuquerque NM Launchpad
Jun 19 Tucson AZ 191 Toole
Jun 20 Phoenix AZ Last Exit Live
Aug 8 Philadelphia PA Underground Arts
Aug 9 New Haven CT Space Ballroom
Aug 10 Boston MA The Sinclair
Aug 12 Montreal QC Theatre Fairmount
Aug 13 Toronto ON Opera House
Aug 14 Buffalo NY Town Ballroom
Aug 15 Pittsburgh PA Spirit Hall
Aug 16 New York NY Webster Hall
Aug 17 Washington DC Black Cat
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