1995-Pete LoefflerVocals, guitar
Sam LoefflerDrums
Joe LoefflerBass, vocals1995-2005
Dean BernardiniBass, vocals2005-2019
Chevelle formed in 1995 in Grayslake, Illinois, by brothers Pete, Sam, and Joe Loeffler. All three members of the band loved fast cars, so they named the band after one of their dad's favorite cars, the Chevrolet Chevelle. The band's first shows took place in and around Chicago while bassist Joe Loeffler was just 14.
Before he became a well-known name on Saturday Night Live, comedian Fred Armisen appeared on Chevelle's first demo, 1999's Point #1. The record was produced by Nirvana and Pixies producer, Steve Albini, who works in Chicago near Chevelle's hometown of Grayslake, Illinois.
Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Geoff Blum used Chevelle's "
The Red" as his intro song when coming up to bat. Blum was a member of the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox. He is best known for ending the longest game in World Series history by hitting a tie-breaking home run in the bottom of the 14th inning.
In 2005, Chevelle announced that bassist Joe Loeffler quit the band. At the time, his brothers and bandmates claimed it wasn't the first time he had quit but this time it was permanent. Loeffler countered by claiming that his brothers forced him out and that he would be focusing on his family rather than music going forward. In 2025, Sam and Pete said they haven't spoken with Joe since he left the band.
In 2007, a trailer containing all of Chevelle's equipment was stolen from outside of a hotel in Fort Worth, Texas. The band posted a note on their website asking fans to keep a lookout for gear for sale marked "Chevelle." Of the 14 guitars that were stolen, two of them were eventually returned. The band also got their P.A. system and a few amplifiers back, but most of the gear was never found.
Chevelle's song "
Face To The Floor" was inspired by the victims of Bernie Madoff's elaborate Ponzi scheme. The band added "it's for Kevin Bacon," since the actor was among the people Madoff had swindled.
Lead singer Pete Loeffler has been an atheist since his teens, which may come as a shock to people who believed Chevelle were a Christian band. Drummer Sam Loeffler believes part of the reason why people have labeled them as such is because their first album appeared in some Christian bookstores. Their first record deal was with a company that was backed by Word, a Christian label that represented John Tesh and Amy Grant. Loeffler said seeing Chevelle's first album, Point #1, in Christian bookstores was "an accidental thing." The group even won a trio of Dove Awards given by the Gospel Music Association for their debut album, which made it even harder for them to shake their unintended image as a Christian act.
Dean Bernardini, who replaced Joe Loeffler, learned to play bass by playing along with some of his favorite records. The first album he learned to play start to finish was Muse's Absolution.
The band doesn't profit off the sales of their debut album because when their original record label got absorbed by its parent company, the album was sold to another label. In fact, they didn't even know the album was being reissued on vinyl in 2025, which caused many of their fans to boycott the release. But Chevelle insisted they don't care if people buy the album just because they don't benefit from it - they're grateful that fans are still interested in their early songs.
The brothers grew up listening to their parents' folk albums, which is how they got into playing music. Pete was inspired to pick up the guitar by listening to Cat Stevens. They discovered rock music when their older sisters' boyfriends came over and told them about Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.
Sam Loeffler decided to become a drummer after a near-death experience. When he was 12 years old, he was swimming in a lake in his hometown when he got caught in seaweed and almost drowned. While he was struggling he was thinking, "I can't die yet because I haven't learned to play the drums."
Luckily a friend showed up out of nowhere to rescue him. He eventually bought his first drum kit with money he saved up from mowing lawns.
Pete Loeffler suffers from claustrophobia and his worst fear is being buried alive, which inspired Chevelle's
This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In) single "
The Clincher."
Chevelle made Marilyn Manson jealous when they shared the main stage with "
The Beautiful People" singer at Ozzfest in 2003 - but it wasn't because of their music. Manson was angry at the band for hanging out with his dancers backstage and would punch their dressing room door, leaving bloody fistmarks behind.
Pete was seriously into skateboarding growing up, to the point where he had to make a decision whether he was going to pursue a pro-skating career or a musical one.
