NEW YORK CONVERSATION: Hot Chip/Matthew Dear/Explosions in the Sky/Lichens, 4.8.08

Every week, self-titled scours the streets of New York looking for a good time. This is what we discovered on Tuesday night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and Terminal 5 …

STeditor01: so i’m pretty sure I’m 20% high
Caps: from?
STeditor01: second hand smoke was killer
Caps: ha
Caps: not too much smoke at hot chip
Caps: the pot is probably essential at explosions shows these days
Caps: they’re definintely one of those bands that was devastating in smaller venues
STeditor01: lots of long tokes until you lose motor function and start to laugh like a hyena
Caps: and is getting lost a bit in places like webster hall
Caps: where i saw them last
Caps: and was bored
STeditor01: they said this is the biggest show they’ve ever played
Caps: i bet
STeditor01: non-festival
Caps: and sold out?
STeditor01: sold out yeah
Caps: nice

HOT CHIP and MATTHEW DEAR [far right]

STeditor01: what a weird venue
Caps: seriously
STeditor01: I kinda dug it for a while
Caps: havent seen a show there yet; just the plug awards
STeditor01: until I tried to leave
Caps: which wasnt a good bar for the place
STeditor01: and all the “Exits” had staff blocking them
Caps: i see
Caps: why is thaT?
STeditor01: I walked around for like 20 minutes trying to find a way out
Caps: because you had to get the full experience?
Caps: oh right, there’s like one clear exit ?
STeditor01: something like that. And when I got outside, it was the smoker’s barrier
STeditor01: so i had to jump it
Caps: wow
Caps: good exercise
STeditor01: i was like, alright dudes, later

MATTHEW DEAR with his “Big Hands” band

Caps: did you wish you were at hot chip?
Caps: because they killed it yet again
STeditor01: nah, show was pretty good
Caps: played like 20 songs or something
Caps: a good 90 minutes
STeditor01: boring where it’s expected to be boring but loud as hell and awesome in the good parts
Caps: right on
Caps: they stick to the new album?
STeditor01: i wonder if their fans realize they’ve written the same song over and over
Caps: thats not entirely true
STeditor01: i think it was mostly from that record, yeah
STeditor01: that’s really the only one I know
12:15 AM
STeditor01: dude’s bass was rattling my chest though
Caps: its just hard to enjoy if you arent getting bowled over by the noise
Caps: and sound
Caps: so if it was loud, you got a good idea of what their shows SHOULD be like
STeditor01: yeah, it was definitely loud

AL DOYLE of HOT CHIP

STeditor01: i like that they bring chairs
Caps: they did????
STeditor01: and sit down now and again
Caps: they should make it bean bag chairs next time
STeditor01: yeah, they did that at coachella too
Caps: huh, that must be something new
STeditor01: i guess it means they’re concentrating real hard, or something
Caps: oh
Caps: i thought you meant they put chairs in the crowd
Caps: ha
STeditor01: Did Alexis wear his batman belt?
STeditor01: ah, no. onstage.
STeditor01: they’d just randomly sit down
Caps: not sure; that guitarist guy (what’s his name?) was hogging the stage
Caps: bouncing around and having a damn good time
STeditor01: Oh, Carrie Bradshaw…this man isn’t right for you!!
STeditor01: Al Doyle
Caps: huh????
STeditor01: he’s such a ham
Caps: yeah
Caps: him
Caps: definite pork material
STeditor01: James Murphy taught him well
Caps: that why?
Caps: oh yeah, he played with them a bit
STeditor01: yep
STeditor01: that’s what that song Wrestlers is about
Caps: right
Caps: they played that
STeditor01: James being like, “you can’t have Al back. And I’ll wrestle you and I’m bigger.”
STeditor01: damn, this is the episode where she’s dating an alcoholic who falls off the wagon when she won’t say she loves him

JOE GODDARD of HOT CHIP

12:20 AM
Caps: you know, i never got into that show
STeditor01: it’s less thrilling when you actually get to NY
Caps: i see
STeditor01: but the whole Seinfeld Syndrome was definitely in affect for that show when I was in MO
Caps: i can see that
Caps: its probably the reason most people liked it
Caps: anyway, no other explosions comments?
STeditor01: like let’s go party at Avalon!
Caps: only its closed!
STeditor01: Rob Lowe opened!!!
STeditor01: which was awesome
Caps: oh nice
Caps: by himself?
STeditor01: yeah
Caps: or one of his new bands?
STeditor01: as Lichens
Caps: i see
Caps: was that boring?
STeditor01: that’s his weird Soft Circle solo thing
Caps: or mind blowing to some degree?
STeditor01: i mean, i love him so it was awesome
STeditor01: but yeah, pretty boring if I didn’t give a shit about dude
Caps: it wasnt “transcendent” or something?
Caps: what did he play?
Caps: drums?
Caps: synth setup?
Caps: drone b.s.?
STeditor01: i couldn’t tell
STeditor01: no one could see what he was playing really
STeditor01: it just looked like he was sitting into a chair and moaning into a mic
STeditor01: with his hair all like buckwheat

ALEXIS TAYLOR of HOT CHIP

Caps: any other openers?
STeditor01: the guy next to me said, and I wrote this down, “This guy is trying to do the Buddhist stuff…It’s like a Beastie Boys album.”
Caps: matthew dear did MUCH better than he did at the mercury lounge a ocuple months back
STeditor01: i LOL’d
STeditor01: even with his hard drive stolen?
Caps: was actually pretty tight with his three person abnd
Caps: hes quite the showman surprisingly
Caps: and his songs hold up in a non-laptop-based context
STeditor01: i think he wants to be Prince IRL
Caps: hot chip came on for don and sherrie
STeditor01: oh nice
STeditor01: So…in summation:
12:25 AM
STeditor01: The best part of the show was when the guy from Explosions in the Sky said, “We’d like to thank Rob Lowe for playing,” and the dude beside me said, “Did he just say Rob Lowe?”
STeditor01: and when stuff got real loud
STeditor01: not so much when it was all twinkly and soft
STeditor01: also, i think I missed the Beastie Boys album that was Buddhist songs.
Caps: i bet the dude beside you thought he meant the actor right?
STeditor01: i’ll have to find that in iTunes
STeditor01: tis my guess

Caps: hot chip/matthew dear summation: tight as hell
Caps: the boys keep evolving
Caps: songs keep changing live
Caps: they’re easily the most entertaining indie dance type act outside of lcd
Caps: so go dfa
STeditor01: Kenna is on Letterman
Caps: his album ever get a push?
STeditor01: Pharrell is playing drums for him and Chad is playing keys
Caps: like at all?
STeditor01: it’s kinda awesome
STeditor01: Pharrell’s a really good drummer
STeditor01: how good was that first N.E.R.D. album
Caps: was it good?>
STeditor01: ha
STeditor01: yeah
Caps: i remember it being okay
STeditor01: i remember selling it and then buying it again two weeks later
STeditor01: oh no! Soul Plane is on!
STeditor01: Mo’Nique!!!!
Caps: hahahaha
STeditor01: they just called some guy in a turban “Osama”
STeditor01: yes!
12:35 AM
STeditor01: i’m Dwayne Wade. My five is hot!

Caps: i beleive our conversation just devolved
STeditor01: into amazingness
Caps: youre stoned
STeditor01: oh, dude
STeditor01: so Solange Knowles is coming by my work tomorrow
Caps: for what?
STeditor01: no idea
Caps: that beyocnes mom?
Caps: or sister?
STeditor01: i’m gonna tell her about how we have something in common: We’re both not Beyonce
STeditor01: sister
Caps: that might not go over well
12:40 AM
STeditor01: shout out to Torche
STeditor01: shout out to Pitchfork.tv
Caps: yeah good for them
Caps: see ya mtv
Caps: alright, shout out to sleep
Caps: and, yeah, buy that torche album too, kids
Caps: it slays like the foo fighters
Caps: (no, really)
STeditor01: quicksand!
STeditor01:
g’night
Caps: g night!!!!

For more information on Hot Chip, be sure to check out our complete “Story of the Week” interview with them here.