Hot Chip brought new songs and classics to Elsewhere (pics, setlist, review)
Hot Chip are on a quick U.S. visit this week, doing press for their upcoming album A Bath Full of Ecstacy and and also playing smaller-than-usual shows in Brooklyn and California. Despite the promotional nature of the trip, Hot Chip didn’t overwhelm the crowd Monday night at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere with songs they hadn’t heard yet, only playing three (including single “Hungry Child”), and filling most of the set with favorites. The packed house, which was definitely not suffering from a case of the Mondays, was hyped and dancing the whole time.
They kicked things off with a trio of established favorites: “Huarache Lights,” “One Life Stand” (which Alexis Taylor dedicated to his wife; it was their anniversary Monday), and “Night & Day” before dipping into the new album’s sweet, poppy “Melody of Love.” We also got proggier take on “Over and Over,” as well as a more blissed-out version of “And I Was a Boy From School” (both from 2006’s near-perfect The Warning), plus “Flutes” and a main-set closing “Ready for the Floor” that had the whole place bouncing.
The encore started mellow with slow-jam “Look at Where We Are,” before taking a left turn with that fun cover of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” and finishing big with their Madonna-inspired “I Feel Better.”
While A Bath Full Of Ecstacy, on which they collaborated with outside producers for the first time, is probably the glossiest album they’ve ever made, live the new songs fit right in with the rest of their set. The ’80s-ish “Spell” has that quirky Hot Chip charm flowing through it, and “Hungry Child” is a killer mid-’90s-style house banger that sounded great live. Apart from a technical glitch after the second song and Alexis saying he flubbed some of “Sabotage,” the seven-strong lineup — decked out in matching denim outfits based on the new album’s art — were in terrific, fun form. They even treated us to a little choreography during “Flutes.” They had a new drummer for the Brooklyn show and I definitely missed Sarah Jones’ skill and presence behind the kit but a super fun show nonetheless. Pics from the whole night, including Nate Harrington‘s opening DJ set, are in the gallery above, and setlist and video of “Sabotage” and “One Night Stand” are below.
Hot Chip play L.A.’s El Rey Theatre on Wednesday, Pioneertown on Thursday and San Francisco on Saturday, and will be back in September for their full North American tour that kicks off with two nights at Brooklyn Steel.
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SETLIST: Hot Chip @ Elsewhere Hall 4/29/2019
Huarache Lights
One Life Stand
Night & Day
Melody of Love
Over and Over
Flutes
Hungry Child
And I Was a Boy From School
Spell
Ready for the Floor
Encore:
Look at Where We Are
Sabotage (Beastie Boys)
I Feel Better
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photos by Ellen Qbertplaya
