So my only attended show for my virginal Pop Montreal experience (due to poorness) was Hot Chip last Wednesday at Metropolis on St. Laurent. Honestly I was just really slow on the uptake – I checked out the full program the second day of the festival and realized one of my favourite Canadian up and comers Mardeen were playing an amazing east-coast focused show the night before. I would’ve foregone a few cartons of Tropicana to see them for sure.
Hot Chip definitely didn’t disappoint, although the $6.25 domestics did. They played all of the singles, all of the goodies, and the live drummer made a massive difference overall. Well played HC.
One thing that gets to me at times (among a lot of hipster bands) is the suffocating amount of irony. The lead singer was wearing a unabomber-inspired white coveralls, those late 80s dad rapist glasses, and looked like Screech’s long lost penpal. On one hand I do appreciate that the rock and roll mould is being broken, and that nerdy dudes are getting laid, but it’s the amount of “coolaloof” that comes with this irony that I dislike.
“And I Was A Boy From School” was the highlight, and they encored with a tasteful version of Sinead’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”. Not a bad choice at all. First time at Metropolis too – pretty much the best venue I’ve been to along with the Opera House. Perfect size for crowd energy and intimacy, classy, nice balcony, plus the Montreal crowd never disappoints. Montreal 1 (million).
