This summer has been an unseasonably cool one for San Diego, but the mercury is finally about to rise.
On Saturday, the chilliness will come to an abrupt halt when the Belly Up cranks up some Hot Hot Heat. Wordplay!
Hot Hot Heat are the Canadian party-pop band responsible for 2002's Make Up the Breakdown and its marble-mouthed hit single, "Bandages." Along with other popular bands of the era, like the Strokes and the Vines, Hot Hot Heat were welcomed as rock saviors, come to make the airwaves safe for good music and rescue us from boy-band tyranny. Their intentions were noble, but you need only turn your radio dial to whichever Justin Bieber songs are playing right now to see it didn't work.
Not that it's Hot Hot Heat's fault. The band followed Make Up the Breakdown with 2005's Elevator and 2007's Happiness LTD, two solid, fun albums overflowing with jaunty, radio-friendly ditties. Despite the abundance of catchy hooks and singer Steve Bays' charmingly slurred delivery, Elevator and Happiness LTD were underrated by critics and overlooked by the masses. Undaunted -- or maybe just semi-daunted -- the band released Future Breeds, its fourth major studio album, in June.
I haven't had a chance to absorb the new record yet but, as long as they play some older songs, Saturday's Belly Up show is guaranteed to be a fun time. Hey Rosetta and the 22-20s are opening, and tickets can be purchased here.
Chris Maroulakos is a writer and editor for the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.
