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Hot Hot Heat Warm Up Stage At Bootleg

Amanda Tran |
June 18, 2010 | 1:49 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Hot Hot Heat frontman Steve Bays rocks the house.
(Creative Commons)

Canadian indie rockers Hot Hot Heat delivered at their concert at the Bootleg Theater Wednesday. The show marked the midpoint of their month-long residency in Los Angeles.  

After spending several years out of public sight, they have exploded back on scene to release their newest album Future Breeds (June 9) on Dangerbird Records.

As a longtime fan, I was stoked to hear about the new album and show. Although skeptical that Future Breeds would be too experimental for my taste, I couldn't resist the opportunity to hear them live.

Stepping foot in the Bootleg, I was immediately enraptured by the intimacy of the venue. The small, dim warehouse made me feel as if I was part of a select few invited to enter a secret show.

The first opening act, The Janks, set a laidback tone. The Los Angeles native band used unique instruments, such as a duck whistle, that added an element to their sound.

Next up was Eastern Conference Champions. This trio, originally from Philadelphia, added energy to the crowd with their performance of "Million Miles an Hour," the track the band played for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Soundtrack.

I loved the lead singer's murmur as he sang out of the side of this mouth, and of course, seeing a girl bassist who can rip definitely forced me to make a mental note to Google this band later.

Finally! At 10:30 p.m., Hot Hot Heat stepped on stage to the cheer of anticipating fans.  

They immediately busted out tracks from Future Breeds. The first song, "YVR," is one of my personal favorites from the new album, and they performed the hell out of it.

I've decided lead singer Steve Bays is a certified badass. From falling to his knees to belt out the chorus to tipping his keyboard so the crowd could sing into the microphone, he knew exactly what to do to wrap the crowd around his finger.

The crowd's initial response let me know that Hot Hot Heat can totally pull off their new, experimental album. They've managed to push their music to the next level with their edgier sound.

Hot Hot Heat played all the songs I wanted to hear and more. Not only did they draw in the audience with new tracks, they also played old favorites I used to blast in my car during high school.

"Goodnight Goodnight" and "Middle of Nowhere," from their second album, Elevator, were even better live than I had imagined. With appropriate pauses and personal additions not found in the studio versions, I was hooked.

Towards the end of the night, Bays expressed his gratitude.

"I know we've been locked away in the studio for a couple years, and we're so thankful to still have a good showing and crowd come out," he said.

I was on a high long after the show ended. This was one of the best concerts I've been to - I have a new appreciation for these talented rockers.

You don't wanna miss them!

[Hot Hot Heat will be playing the next two Wednesdays at the Bootleg.]



 

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