This post is for Krystle
April 15th, 2008 | Published in DC, art, music
1. Hot Chip performed at the 9:30 club last Friday. They were very good but not great. I mean I was really impressed that they (meaning the six members of HC) could play so tightly - the rhythms were on par and it was definitely an upbeat and lively show. But I guess because all of their music is so upbeat that the level of excitement for me stayed pretty static, rather than escalating as the show went on. If I compare them to Ghostland Observatory, a group that recently played in DC that also incorporates catchy dance beats into their music, I would say that if I was to listen to recordings of both bands, Hot Chip would win. But I guess Aaron Behrens of Ghostland Observatory is just one sexy man of a man, because I really believe that Ghostland’s performance enables their music to reach a new level. They’re unusual in that their live act is better than the recording (c’mon how many times have you ever listened to a band’s MySpace page and thought this is pretty good only to find out that they suck in real life). In contrast, a live performance of a Hot Chip song is slightly worse than a Hot Chip recording, only because the finished Hot Chip recording is such catchy, goodness.
Importantly, I wanted to point out that the lead singer of Hot Chip was wearing a PANDA TANK TOP during the show. (see below)
2. Raku in Dupont Circle makes really good food. Krystle and I shared a sushi special, which I unfortunately do not have a picture of because we gobbled it up so fast. It was composed of eel and topped with a slice of jalepeno, giving it this great bite. When we go there, we also always get the yellow curry soup with vegetables and tofu. (see below).
