I was faced with a tough choice for last night’s show. Go see UB40 at the Cabooze or catch Hot Chip at First Ave. Turns out I made the right choice as our PR contact for UB40 did not come through and we did not get to cover them :). So I found myself outside First Avenue witnessing the live music equivalent of “Who’s on first……” as Hatchie was playing next door at the Entry and there was some confusion about which line to be in.
Once inside opener Toronto band Holy Fuck started their set in deep purple lights with a track that was heavy on bass driving the synths. The band’s dancy electronic songs were the perfect way to energize the crowd and get them ready for Hot Chip.
Dress (mostly) in white and barricaded behind a mountain of keyboards the five piece band (and two touring members) quickly built on the energy that resided in the crowd from Holy Fuck. To me, there’s always been something about British pop bands that always exuberant and fun. Alexis Taylor switched microphones on the fly and rotated position on stage. Their cover of the Beastie Boys “Sabotage” was unexpected (at least for me) and sounded great. Their set list of course was heavy on their new album “A Bath Full of Ecstasy” but included quite a few cuts from their older albums as well. Through the set fans packed the main floor and pretty much everyone was dancing to every beat. A perfect night to let loose and dance your butt off. Oh and if you didn’t get enough, Hot Chip stuck around for a DJ set after the show.
Set List: Huarache Lights / One Life Stand / Night & Day / Bath Full of Ecstasy / Flutes / Hungry Child / And I Was a Boy From School / Spell / Sabotage / Over and Over / Melody of Love / Ready for the Floor Encore: Made in the Dark / Positive / I Feel Better
