HOT CHIP
APRIL 12, 2008
TERMINAL 5, NYC
WORDS: CAMERON COOK
PHOTOS: ABBEY BRADEN

Thank fuck for Hot Chip. In a world where pretentious indie rock and boring electro reign supreme, it's inspiring to see that a group so innovative, so eclectic, so weird, can not only exist, but also be extremely popular (as a packed floor at Terminal 5 confirmed by going buckwild at every single opportunity). From the opening primal funk of “Shake a Fist” (performed from in front of a giant backdrop, about which guitarist Al Doyle admitted: “it kind of looks like a giant biscuit”) to the down tempo closer “The Privacy of Our Love”, Hot Chip had us all in the palm to their collective hand, and we were more than glad to sway whichever way they carried us.

The last time I saw Hot Chip was over a year ago at Webster Hall, when they debuted to their New York audience their new, drummer-free live sound—and all I remember thinking is Wow, these guys are the new Kraftwerk, the new Devo, and the new something-that-hasn’t-been-invented yet, all rolled into one utterly delectable aural feast. Their new record Made in the Dark confirms my beliefs, as lead single “Ready For the Floor” (also a definite highlight of Saturday’s performance) is possibly the greatest track since, well, who knows since what? It defies time and genre effortlessly. I know I’m prone to hyperbole but guess what? WHATEVER. I have seen the future of pop and it is Hot Chip.

What makes Hot Chip so universally appealing is that more than a band, they’re a mismatched crew of tech geeks and record nerds who have cultivated enough talent to become musicians. The balance of their genius seems almost too precarious to actually come to fruition, yet somehow it does. It’s as if frontman Alexis Taylor’s voice was made to be complementary to Joe Goddard’s (possibly my one favorite person in the world) deep growl, and had they not found each other and started a band, they would not be onstage performing such enticing songs to an audience of thousands. By the time “Bendable Poseable” comes along and Joe’s kicks in his hyperactive rap/spoken word verse, the entire crowd goes wild and mimics his jumpy, manic dance moves.

Obviously, the set also had its highlights from Hot Chip’s breakthrough second album, The Warning: while a revamped, more percussive version of “Boy From School” made an appearance early on in the set, the intergalactic mega-hit “Over and Over” produced a seismic reaction from the crowd, and at one point I’m pretty sure I was trampled within an inch of my life (by a young man with a lot of unwashed hair--but I digress). Luckily, the shows mid-to-down tempo moments also shone golden, like the Made in the Dark album track “Wrestlers”. All in all, a beyond stellar performance from a beyond stellar band. Is it just me, or does everyone really want this band to get Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense-era insane and weird?

VIDEOS
Hot Chip - "Ready for the Floor" (live at Terminal 5)

Hot Chip - "Over and Over" (live at Terminal 5)