The other band that I really wanted to see this summer, which I alluded to yesterday, is the British electropop group Hot Chip. I had read so much about Hot Chip before I ever had the opportunity to see them that I wasn’t quite sure they’d be able to live up to the hype. When I did finally catch their set at Lollapalooza 2006, they blew me away. I’m really not a huge fan of electro/dance music, but I really enjoyed the way they reproduced their songs live by using guitars, pianos and drums. In a weird way it reminded me a lot of the way The Roots use instruments to make their unique brand of hip-hop.
Since Hot Chip’s based in the UK, it seems like most of their shows are either in Europe or, when they do come to the US, in New York or LA. When I heard they’d be traveling to the U.S. this fall to perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, I saw my chance to finally see them again. But of course, similar to The Hold Steady, Hot Chip has chosen to only play Austin and Dallas while in Texas during their 2008 North America tour. I’m crossing my fingers ACL schedules them to play on that Saturday (so I have a chance to see them), but according to the band’s official website it looks like they will be playing on the Friday of the music festival.
If you’ve never heard Hot Chip before and would like to give them a listen, then I can’t recommend highly enough their second album, 2006’s The Warning. They also recently released their third studio album, Made In The Dark, early this year to rave reviews. It’s a great album in its own right, but I’d suggest picking up The Warning for your first Hot Chip experience. If you happen to be in a city where Hot Chip will be performing this fall, make sure to buy your tickets early and send The Blot some pictures.
Hot Chip
Made In The Dark
2008 North America Tour Dates
Sept 21 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
Sept 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
Sept 23 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
Sept 25 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
Sept 26 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival
Sept 28 - Chicago, IL - Metro
Sept 29 - Chicago, IL - Metro
Sept 30 - Toronto, Ontario - Koolhaus
Oct 01 - Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
Oct 03 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Oct 04 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Oct 05 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
Oct 07 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
Oct 08 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
Oct 09 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
