Blame Canada

Thursday evening at Amoeba here in Hollywood, Hot Hot Heat played a free show.

Tarted up little girls (we're talking ten year olds done up as Paris Hilton) started showing up with their moms at about 3:30pm, and the band was scheduled to start playing at 6pm. They politely asked if they could sit on the stage while waiting. By 5:30, the store was pretty packed with kids, mostly teeenage MTV types, curious older folks like myself scattered about. (I'm just lucky that I used to work there so I get to hide out with the staff by the sound board.)

About 10 minutes before these young Canucks were to hit the stage, I found out the show was going to be acoustic. Hmmm... I actually really love this band. Why? Because they rip off that 80's post-punk dance thing so well. They're fun. The singer is whiny and snotty and the music is kind of goofy. But acoustic? Well, that would mean that the whimsical keyboards and dancy drums would be gone... and what would be left?

Um, the singer who is whiny and snotty.

Well, he tried to tone it down a bit, but most of the kids who work at Amoeba are musicians and had something to say. Most folks were saying that his voice was a bit too affected to go with such a bright, shiny sounding acoustic guitar, and they were right. But Hot Hot Heat did ok. Their songs were still recognizable, but not as fun. And, cutely, the crowd sang along with "Bandages." The band didn't even sing the end of it, just let the crowd finish them out.

I have no idea why they decided to play this acoustic. Was it a press tour? Curious. Overall, an okay time, but I'm still gonna have to see them plugged in someday.