Hot Hot Heat, the madcap Canucks who are setting the music industry ablaze, tornadoed through Chicago’s Empty Bottle last night, curing a “bad dose of the Mondays” with their quirky brand of rocket fueled dance & roll music. 3xH (yes, that is their new nickname, and I started it, so when you start saying it, remember where it came from, you thieves) graciously severed off tracks from their vivacious debut on Sub Pop, Make Up The Breakdown, which is one of the most oddly refreshing records of the year. The band recently sold their souls to the Warner Bros. who will make sure that you hear their next record, which could quite possibly melt your stereo system like cheese in a microwave.
“No, Not Now,” “Get In Get Out,” “Oh, Goddamnit,” “Bandages,” and the dynamite closer “This Town,” although sped up and loaded with booze and sweat, passed as exact clones for the appetizing batch of soon to be dance classics on the new record. “5 times out of 100″ was one of the standouts from the cult favorite Knock Knock Knock EP and in the midst of a bashful restart of the evening’s only unreleased track, “Move On,” singer Steve Bays joked, “Look at those fucking amateurs. This is bullshit.” A retroternative girl in the front took a break from dancing and replied, “you can’t swear in America,” which I thought was rather amusing and worth reporting since the Spazztastic Four hail from British Columbia, Canada.
Bays’ cackling yodel could be heard throughout the Windy City, while guitar player and possible clothing model Dante Decaro was dressed to kill in his light blue collared shirt, sans the sleeves, looking like a young Adrian Zmed. Please note that by comparing him to the supporting actor best known for his brilliant work in Bachelor Party and Grease 2, Zmed should thank me for being the first person to mention his name via any media outlet in 2002.
Hot Hot Heat churned out hit after unconquerable hit. The electric piano-charged tunes fit with everything from an independent movie score to a national commercial for your favorite “must have” product. With shaggy hair that, if washed, would probably poof into an enormous perm, retro attire, and turbo charged anthems, the only thing stopping Hot Hot Heat from becoming super duper stars…is absolutely nothing.
Source: Jason Anfinsen
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