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indie-snob>+!#
hot hot heat @ the vic (10-3-03)
with ima robot, french kicks |
 Line-up: Okay, so it’s been a while since the last review, and this show was ages ago, but my opinions are still valid, right? We all know that I think Hot Hot Heat is a genius band. This was my third time seeing them live and despite the fact that the crowds get bigger each time, the band puts a similarly stellar live show time after time. The good part is that the sets have gotten longer and longer each time. I guess HHH’s popularity hasn’t started to bother me yet. I’ve been front and center at all three shows, Steve Bays still talks to anyone who wants to (my friend gave him the Barry Manilow tape I brought her since she had previously recorded it; they also talked about Canadian geese and their shared love for Barry Manilow). At any one of these shows, it’s the new fans that start to affect things. At this show, I saw kids from my school who wear Clash t-shirts every day because they’re SO OBVIOUSLY punk rawk. *gag* First to open was Ima Robot, a lovely, spastic dance band. The lead singer sported a deliciously tacky mullet (with one side containing a carefully shaved out triangle) and a torn shirt with silver pants. Sure, it was most definitely too much to handle, but that’s what made it all the better. I enjoyed their set a whole lot and everything they did was just so fun. A lot of the songs did run into each other live, but I’d tend to say that their album doesn’t do that as much. The band was just really into what they were doing and that always adds to the effectiveness of their performance. The set included songs mostly off their self-titled record but also a couple new/unreleased/b-sides/songs I hadn’t heard of. Highlights included “Dynomite,” their stellar single and also “A Is for Action,” “Scream,” and “Let’s Talk Turkey.” But sheesh, they were all good. (I’m on vacation while writing this, but at home I have the full setlist I swiped, so drop me a line somewhere if you want it.) The French Kicks played next. Hmm. I’d like to make it clear that I do indeed like The French Kicks, but I’d then like to point out that I found them largely boring. To some extent, I expect the band before HHH to be somewhat lively but was slightly disappointed with the lack of enthusiasm The Kicks exhibited. The lead singer seemed more interested in appealing to the ladies of the audience (no, we don’t want to see your shirtless body… or do we?) and less interested in actually having a good time on stage. But whatever. Keyboards blah blah guitars blah vocals blah blah blah. I’m sorry. I really like their music, but I was completely unimpressed by the live show. And, Hot Hot Heat. I was happy to see more people dancing this time around. After all, I think Hot Hot Heat puts on one of the absolutely best shows out there where you can just have a good time no matter what. Steve was having some MAJOR keyboard issues throughout the show (just not coming through his monitor well at all), but once you got past the irritating buzzing, everything else seemed good. If my memory serves me well, the band opened with “Get In Or Get Out” and continued with their hit songs off Make Up the Breakdown for a large part of the evening. Surprisingly, though, they played a lot more off the Knock Knock Knock EP, which in terms of their pop career is possibly superior to their full-length. So, “Le Le Low,” “Five Times Out of 100” and "Touch You Touch You" were all part of their set, which was most welcomed in my mind. I was most surprised to hear “Apartment 107,” the b-side for “Bandages” on the import CDep/7” (which, unsurprisingly, was the closing to the main set for the evening). I think each time I see HHH, I become more impressed, and that’s the best thing an underground turned mainstream band can do. It’s amazing to compare their initial work (back when Steve Bays wasn’t the singer and the band played haunting dark-wave) with today’s pop gems. And, if you haven’t, I highly suggest you pick up both their poppier records and either their split with The Red Light Sting or the compilation of all their early work, Scenes One Through Thirteen. I love Hot Hot Heat. Go to their shows and DANCE, monkey. And screw popularity, they’re MY band, bitch. Grade: A+ Related Reviews:
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