Live Review: Hot Chip at Terminal 5 [4.12.08]

Hot Chip took the stage last Friday at Terminal 5, just as the sun was setting on the first true spring day in New York, which caused the whole city to practically explode out of hibernation, embodying every spring cliche possible. All afternoon, people wandered around the city in an idyllic daze, spending hours sipping mimosas at outdoor brunches, unabashedly baring their pasty legs while prancing around in sundresses. I was no exception, and found myself basking lazily in a park with friends in the late afternoon, somehow paralyzed to move myself to an early evening show (doors were at seven; openers Free Blood took the stage at eight, Hot Chip promptly at nine).

We arrived dreamily in the midst of the first few twinkling notes of the well-chosen opener, “Shake a Fist,” and danced our way into a tightly packed but welcoming crowd. We were easily able to work our way close to the stage, and nobody seemed to mind. The care-free vibe was consuming. Twinkling soon gave way to pounding, layered beats that had the whole Terminal throbbing. The much-anticipated “sounds of the studio” breakdown had the whole place in a state of ecstatic dance-crazed insanity. It was literally impossible to stand still.

The thing about a show like this is that it doesn’t give a reviewer much narrative material. There were no peculiarities, no inconsistencies, no surprises. It was exactly what you would expect a sold out Hot Chip show at Terminal 5 to be: a huge dance party of 3,000 hipsters from far and wide—each and every one shaking their ironic booties. What is a reviewer to do besides toss her tiny notebook and join them?

So what is it about a band that can hypnotize a full audience of self-conscious New Yorkers into a state of uninhibited euphoria? Hot Chip has mastered the science of combining hedonistic fun with a touch of bashful sincerity, unlike other electro-rock that is dancey but sterile. The layering of intoxicating dance beats under Alexis Taylor's crooning soprano along with the occasional tinge of R&B and soul, make for dance music that rocks your body--and your heart.

Nevertheless, the success of the show seemed to rely on this formula alone, which, expert as it may be, is already present in the album. As a performance, it didn’t really offer anything new. And although a few twists would have been nice, predictability isn’t the worst thing when it merely fulfills your expectations of a crazy dance party on a heady spring night. Hot Chip proved themselves to be a good time you can rely on.

[Photo courtesy of Myspace]