ICM: Hot Chip

Hot Chip

When the first Bonnaroo was in the works, I bet the founders never dreamed that one day, a group of nerdy British guys armed with a variety of synthesizers would take the festival’s second largest tent in the palm of their hand. Sure enough, it was late night in the daytime on Friday afternoon in “This Tent.” UK-based, electronica quintet Hot Chip had a jam-packed tent bumpin’ and grindin’ to selections from their past two albums, Coming on Strong and The Warning, as well as some bangin’ unreleased material. Spruced-up interpretations of songs like TW’s “And I Was A Boy from School,” and unreleased live stalwart “Shake A Fist”—described in my notes as “f***in’ rad”—had new initiates pulling dance moves they never imagined possible. I should mention that this was only thirty minutes into the set. Sadly, I only caught stories of the mayhem caused by “The Warning” and “Over and Over” because I had other shows to check out. Yes, I left. I am an idiot. I know.

Hot Chip's Myspace