HotRock or DataChip?
How is it that both Datarock's and Hot Chip's names can be broken up and put together two different ways and make sense? Maybe it has something to do with how much amazing sense their double bill made when they came to Wonder Ballroom as part of a triple bill including Planningtorock.
I arrived mid-way through Datarock's set - my did they start early and my were they already in the swing of things. If their coordinated red jumpsuits and sound weren't enough to make you love them, than their live show certainly is. They were having almost too much fun up on stage which in turn made everyone else in the crowd have just as much - especially when they took to jumping off the stage and into the pit and sharing their mic with anyone ready to yell "fa fa fa fa fa."
It was a fist pumping, jumping, and yelling good time.
At the close, "I've Had the Time Of My Life" came on and my oh my - how Datarock played it out! They were sooo into it! Grabbing and hoisting mic stands into the air! Their lead singer took a spot behind the drums and mouthed all the lyrics in time to his beat matching. They sang, they hugged, they celebrated and I think it was at that moment it became impossible not to absolutely adore them.
Berlin based British songstress Planningtorock came on shortly after. Brendan and I played a game of "who does she look like?":
With Hot Chip I wondered, other than dancing - what was the point of coming to see them live at the Wonder after seeing them at the Doug Fir late last year? That set was the epitome of fantastic and it's not like they have a new record out, so what would be different about this show? Was it even possible for it to come close, let alone top what they'd achieved at the Doug Fir? The answer was resounding - it was just as amazing in an entirely different way. Where at the Doug Fir they'd played their songs as they were - with a few added live elements, just repeating that would have caused me to ask aloud "what's the point?"
Boy did they change it up! It was like a set of live mash-ups!
They busted out some Peter Gabriel and New Order's "Temptation," among other tracks, melding them seamlessly into and out of their own so subtle that I'm sure a lot of the audience didn't pick it up. They whipped out "Boy From School" as their second track of the night and also threw some new tracks into the mix.
(is that a look of contempt? hahahaha)
Dancing was of course first order of business for the crowd as it rightfully should be at any Hot Chip show.
Oh and my family was there! By family, I mean complete strangers up until we boarded that fateful yacht known as the Crystal Dolphin for YACHT on a yacht back in early May. It's so crazy how we're like a family now - trading enthusiastic hellos and hugs. It was super cool seeing everybody's favorite scene-star Garrett (who has a kick-ass last.fm), though I never made my way back up to the front to continue our conversation. Tyler was working the door on behalf of Monqui and we made myspace friends the next day. There were other Yoay-ers there too, but not that I know by name, but it was super fun running into "the gang" again. That boat was like a bonding experience hahahaha
It was kind of funny too because I started talking about the CSS show and the girl Tyler was with was like "I heard that too."
And I was like, "It wasn't only me!"
"I read it on Pitchfork."
"Oh, then it was only me."
And for the record - I saw the guy a few days later on the bus that had been absolutely pummeling me at CSS and he had this massive head wound.
I didn't hit up the Hot Chip aftershow at Holocene cos I've already seen Hot Chip DJ back at Koko in Londontown a year or so back in between Battles and Four Tet and yeah.
Anyway, Datarock's live show is so good at selling music that I even bought tracks off the Dirty Dancing soundtrack on itunes after the show.
"How do you call your lover boy?"
"Computer Camp Love" Datarock MP3 - Genius take on "Summer Nights"
"Playboy" Hot Chip MP3 - Bit of a grower, but one of my faves
"Temptation" New Order MP3 - Name checked in Adverbs!!
Wow, thanks for the shout out! When I was at pitchfork I thought I saw a number of girls that I could've sworn were you. haha I almost enthusiastically greeted them, but thought better than to bother them. I assume I'll be seeing you soon.
Posted by: Garrett McGale | July 19, 2007 at 06:59 PM
That was a good show, I liked the DF show better, but this one smelled a hell of a lot better.
Posted by: Tyler | July 30, 2007 at 04:21 PM