Last week, a group of strapping journalism students from the Bronx's Walton High School came by the office to hear a little bit about what exactly goes into the makings of our little music rag. As usual, we learned way more from them than they did from us - about how they listen to music, what songs and singers and MCs they're feeling right now, which FADER covers are cool and which are wack and so on. When we asked them what songs they have on their respective myspace pages, a wild diverse range of answers came back - Neyo, a cousin who is an MC, the Arcade Fire. One girl named Beatriz said "this french group you probably haven't heard of" and then mentioned that she was going to see Hot Chip play that night. Knowing a like-minded sis when we meet one, we asked Young B to review the show. Check her thoughts after the jump (Note: she kills it! And even caught the FADER penchant for cussing! For better or worse! Thanks Beatriz!).
When I think of a Hot Chip show, I think of visually spectacular effects, Alexis’ soothing voice and dancing! Fortunately for me I got everything I could’ve hoped for at the show. Alexis, Owen, Felix, Joe and Al delivered a performance of brilliant beats that they achieved through trial and error and everyone loved it. The show was a blend of their old songs and their very new ones. They combined fast and slow and ended up with an electrifying show. The crowd was filled with young people thirsty for their music. Even before the band came on, the crowd was screaming “Hot Chip!!!”. The group delivered (as they should) a mind blowing performance of their hit “Over and Over,” and the floor nearly broke through. That song was like a light switch on an already bright-ass light. Throughout the whole entire show there was a diverse sense of equality within the group. No one is better than the other, and it’s a beautiful thing. Alexis looks at Joe and then Al, then Owen, then Felix. After that they then begin to make their own individual noise. Hot Chip delivered sounds and vibrations that crept through every square inch of your body and made you really dance your ass off.
What made the show unique was that they experimented and tried out new beats as they went along. They usually didn’t fail but it was interesting to see Alexis look at the other mates for approval to what he just did. Maybe because their music is so great I expected them to play each and every single song they ever made. The show seemed a bit short, and the crowd began to shout “More, More!!!!!!” Hot Chip defied my expectations even though I was longing for the show, and it was an experience I’ll never forget.
The opening act Tussle did a great job of warming up the crowd but didn’t compare to Hot Chip.
Beatriz