By: David Schultz

Hot Chip, is a five piece electronic dance band from London, who have laid claim to the term overseas with their eminently danceable brand of pseudo-electronic pop. Last week, they crossed the ocean for two sold-out nights at Webster Hall in New York City. The Friday night show, their second, felt like it captured a moment in time, only not an extraordinarily current one.

Hot Chip was ill served by the early starting time that comes with a headlining spot at Webster Hall. The synthesized drums and heavy electronic bass underlying every song would have been a better fit for a late-night crowd which ironically would be coming into the venue once Hot Chip concluded their set. Instead of being the focal point of a Manhattan rave, their played dance music for a crowd that didn't dance. In response to the mild reaction they were generating from the crowd, who did manage to get a nice sway going, Joe Goddard got in a subtle dig, complimenting the crowd for being "quite respectful." Getting past the debate of whether New Yorkers feel they are too hip to dance uncontrollably, part of the reason for the tepid response was the complete lack of charisma from half the band, who stood relatively lifeless while they twiddled knobs and programmed beats. The lasers that shot overhead near the end of the show prompted the loudest roar, as whatever spirit Alexis Taylor and Goddard could generate fell well short of generating a proper amount of excitement.

With all of their equipment lined up across the front of the stage, Hot Chip mixed their electronic beats with a healthy dose of conga drums, bongos and natural percussion and occasional bits of electric guitar and bass. As the band ran through some newer material before diving into selections from The Warning, the songs all started to run together as most of them sounded roughly alike. After nearly ninety minutes of smoothly crafted pop, featuring a set closing version of "Over and Over," Hot Chip closed their encore with a downbeat melodic piece that provided an interesting change of pace but showed their strength is English tinged synthesized pop.

Electronic based dance bands have always had a relatively short shelf life, usually lasting as long as it takes for audiences to grow tired of their groove. Ones that strike a collective nerve, like The Pet Shop Boys, go on to have a lengthy career rehashing old memories while others more often than not, fade quickly into obscurity. When your music is predominantly generated by computers, the person pressing the buttons needs more than a deft sense of timing to form a lasting career. Hot Chip has a couple nice beats and a keen sense of timing, but without any discernible personality, they may lack the intangibles to carry them further.

Labels: Hot Chip, Live Reviews