Live Review -Hot Chip / The xx @ Terminal 5

There is something really special about 3,000 people coming together in a room and dancing, jumping and acting out as one fluid body. For Hot Chip's audience on Thursday night, it was just that, a very beautiful thing. The world famous British electro act came back to New York City and on the first of two sold out shows, Hot Chip had the earth shaking and the whole crowd salivating for more and more after each song. The special thing about seeing Hot Chip is that what you hear on record IS NOT what you are getting in concert. The band remixes, reinterprets and re images nearly every track they play in concert. Singer Alexis Taylor and his band look like they just stepped out of a science lab and are ready to present the world with a cure for some terminal disease rather than musicians. Playing a fair amount of songs off their last two albums, 2008's Made in the Dark and their latest One Life Stand, it was a nice flow of how each song worked into each other, they even were able to slip in their cover of Shakira's "She Wolf," during the encore. Yet, more importantly the band displayed the power of their live set. Having seen the band in 2008 at the same venue, I knew what to expect, two years ago the band were rising to their peak and were one of the most impressive live acts I have ever witnessed, last night just proved they are only going to get bigger with time.

Opening the show was a band that could have easily headlined the gig, fellow British buzz band The xx. The xx's rise over the past six months has been tremendous, I saw the band on their very first trip to New York City six months ago during the CMJ music marathon and I thought they were good, but nothing to brag about. However, playing to bigger crowds across North America and Europe, the London trio have gotten so confident live, I understand now why people obsess over them. The haunting and delicate beats and melodies are now backed by bigger and better beats brought to us by beat maker Jamie Smith. Bassist and vocalist Oliver Sim is so confident on stage now, give him another year or so, you will see a slew of guys trying to bite his style. This was truly a great bill and a night people will be talking about for a while.