Posted by Becky Blumenthal.

This past Sunday, May 22nd, Hot Hot Heat stopped in Philadelphia as a part of their tour to promote their sophomore release Elevator. Following two years of non-stop touring, Hot Hot Heat have given their fans more of the genre-crossing fun songs that they loved from Make Up the Breakdown. At this show, Hot Hot heat not only proved that they are back, but that they have grown up.

Hot Hot Heat is like a blast into the danceable era of the new-wave 1980s. But looking around the audience Sunday night, most of the people were not even born in the 1980s. That aside, they put on a terrific performance, that seemed to not only please the fans, but themselves as well.

A day after performing at a large festival in Irvine, California, Hot Hot Heat eagerly welcomed the personal attention of the Trocadero. With less than 1,500 capacity, the intimate feeling provided the perfect atmosphere for the young-and-ready-to-dance audience. Hot Hot Heat entered the stage with a startling, disco-style light show that accompanied their synth-infested music perfectly.

I've seen Hot Hot Heat twice before, and this was definitely their best performance yet. Whether it was the love that the audience had for the band, the infatuation with the new album, or the nostalgia of older songs like "Bandages" and "Oh, Godamnit," it was a great concert. The show was great all the way through, beginning with very appropriate, talented opening bands, The Blue Van, and Robbers on High Street.

Hot Hot Heat released Elevator on April 5, and it is filled with similar infectious melodies to Make Up the Breakdown, which make it irresistible, but the songs show maturation. While Elevator is a great follow up, it's really the relentless hooks, the sugary manic keyboards, and Steve Bays' repetitive lyrics of both albums that make Hot Hot Heat the lovable, danceable band that they are.

Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, these electcro-pop indie darlings just make you want to dance. And that's exactly what the audience did, myself included. Even those who decided they were "too cool" to dance, couldn't refrain.

After waiting too long for Hot Hot Heat to return to Philly, the fans received the show they had been waiting for. What made the show so incredible was the balance between the band and the audience. Unlike other bands, HHH truly feeds off the energy from their fans and need them as much as the fans need the music.

The playlist consisted of:

No, Not Now
Goodnight, Goodnight
This Town
Island of the Honest Man
Ladies and Gentlemen
Get in Or Get Out
Pickin' It Up
Jingle Jangle
Dirty Mouth
Middle of Nowhere
Talk To Me, Dance With Me
I Owe you an IOU
Save Us S.O.S.
Bandages

Encore:
Elevator
Oh, Goddamnit
Running Out of Time

Do yourself a favor, and catch Hot Hot Heat in a city near you.

May 24, 2005 - North Hampton, MA - Pearl Street Nightclub
May 25, 2005 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
May 26, 2005 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
May 27, 2005 - Columbus, Oh - PromoWest Pavillion
May 28, 2005 - Cleveland, OH - Scene Pavillion
May 30, 2005 - Detroit, MI - State Theatre
May 31, 2005 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave at The Eagle's Club
June 1, 2005 - Minneapolis, MN - The Quest
June 3, 2005 - Chicago, IL - New City YMCA
June 4, 2005 - auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
June 7, 2005 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
June 9, 2005 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center
June 10, 2005 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
June 11, 2005 - Banta Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
June 13, 2005 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon Theatre
June 15, 2005 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
June 17, 2005 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre
June 18, 2005 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
June 20, 2005 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
June 21, 2005 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The venue
July 13, 2005 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live *MTV Taping