Escape from Bellevue

Written and Performed by Christopher John Campion

With Live Music by The Knockout Drops

The Village Theatre

158 Bleecker Street

212-307-7171

 

Review by Samantha Tucker

 

Escape from Bellevue, currently rockin’ out at The Village Theatre, is the story of The Knockout Drops and their charismatic frontman Christopher John Campion. In what is described as a “Rock ‘n’ Roll Odyssey,” Campion and the band shake the stage with their incredible pop-rock hooks, electrifying light show, and the hilarious and often tragic stories Campion tells between songs.

 

The group originally formed in the 1980s and has teetered on the fringes of rock stardom ever since — often opening for and partying with larger groups like the Violent Femmes. While The Drops gathered an impressive following in New York City, they fell short of making it big. Campion in particular took to living the life without quite reaching the dream. In Bellevue, he tells his stories of using cocaine, meeting “vicious freaks,” floundering in failed romances, and battling suicidal tendencies. His antics landed him in the psych ward of Bellevue Hospital, not once, but three times between 1998 and 2003.

 

Breakout Performance: Christopher John Campion rocks his way out of a mental institution in Escape from Bellevue.

 

In his black suit and neon pink oxford, Campion is an intriguing stage presence. His jerky dance stylings are reminiscent of Iggy Pop and Mick Jagger, and he sings each song as if he were reliving the lyrics right in front of the audience. His transitional monologues, meanwhile, are performed with the precision of a seasoned actor, not just a musician desperate to tell his survival story. Most fascinating are Campion’s descriptions of Bellevue. On his second trip to the psych ward, Campion became the first man since the 1960s to escape from the hospital — giving him true rock-star status in my opinion.

 

Escape from Bellevue is a classic tale of partying too hard but making it out alive. With impressive lyrics and a solid sound, Campion and The Knockout Drops are still amazing after all these years. What’s equally amazing is that now they do it all sober.