B.C. indie rock band Hot Hot Heat chose Capital Music Hall as their venue for their Oct. 10 performance with supporting acts Rich Aucoin and Hey Rosetta!
Capital Music Hall’s maximum capacity is 480 people, but according to the bouncer at least 504 fans enjoyed the three shows of the night.
Hot Hot Heat headlined, but anyone who saw Rich Aucoin and Hey Rosetta can tell you that these opening acts were full-fledged shows in and of themselves.
With a completely interactive set, Aucoin managed to engage the entire audience with songs set to hit YouTube videos, 3D projections, and balloons thrown at the public.
A giant, multicoloured parachute was deployed at the presentation’s climax for the crowd to dance underneath — as well as Aucoin, who spent more time in the crowd than onstage, throwing confetti in the air and even climbing the balcony to interact with the public. Before one of its incursions into the crowd, he left the microphone with a fan in the front row that kept on singing.
St. John’s Hey Rosetta! mixed indie rock with a touch of violin and viola, lending a unique East Coast aesthetic to their sound. Unfortunately, after Aucoin’s performance the audience seemed tired, and only the more hardcore fans in the front rows were seriously engaged by Hey Rosetta!’s music; the balconies and the rest of the public enjoyed the show in a more quiet fashion.
Moreover, Rosetta’s performance wasn’t flawless, with lead singer Tim Baker actually forgetting the lyrics in the middle of a song, getting by with awkward mumbles and drawing a loud laugh from the audience. Despite this incident, they successfully combined new and old songs, providing an enjoyable time for all.
Hot Hot Heat took the stage at 10:20 p.m., with the audience’s expectations high. When drummer Paul Hawley took to the stage with his tight short-shorts sitting oddly on his six foot frame, the crowd exploded in applause. It was a clue that another good show was coming.
The kickoff was loud with vocalist Steve Bays barely audible, yet with a beat that got the audience moving. With the songs blending into each other, Hot Hot Heat engineered a fast, steady pace, only occasionally pausing to address the crowd.
Bays showed a great stage presence, moving left and right, closely interacting with the crowd. The pace was so intense that after one hour of almost continuous playing, Bays removed his jacket and lay down, singing from the floor for a couple of minutes.
Hot Hot Heat closed their set with “Middle of Nowhere,” though they quickly returned for the encore, playing the band’s most successful song, “Goodnight Goodnight,” to a massive ovation.
During the entire set the public was in synchronicity with the band, the energy levels were at a steady high, and everybody left wanting even more.