Review: CSS @ Metro 12/14/08

It's tough going to a show on a Sunday night. You're probably worn out (read: hungover) from the weekend's previous activities, and visions of your 9-to-5 loom in the not so distant future. It takes something special to get you out of the house (especially in the middle of a Chicago winter). Enter Brazilian band Cansei de Ser Sexy, better known to us in the States as CSS. They became a sensation last year after Apple used their song, "Music is My Hot, Hot Sex," in an iPod Touch commercial. They're known for their exuberant live shows, and I had seen the crazy get-ups that lead singer Lovefoxx wears, so I expected quite the spectacle at the Metro last night.

You knew you were in for a party when Lovefoxxx ran out wearing a tribal print spandex unitard with an Indian feather headdress, and the drummer started the show shirtless. I honestly couldn't take my eyes off Lovefoxxx, wondering what she would do next as she danced around the stage like you would dance around your bedroom with your hairbrush as a microphone. She interacted a lot with the audience, they mimicked her hand motions and dance moves, and she threw a bunch of balloons into the crowd for them to blow up and throw in the air. She even talked with two guys in the front row and gave them new beers! While the show was spontaneous and chaotic, it was controlled chaos. You can tell CSS are professionals at entertaining--there were no awkward moments, and the music didn't suffer at all. In fact, they sounded incredible and tight. They put some serious "rock" in dance rock.

A couple of times during the show, though, it looked as if there were some sound problems on stage. Crews brought more speakers out to the stage, and at one point keyboardist Ana Rezende was waving down the sound guy and eventually walked across the stage to get his attention. Kind of made me wonder if they even sound-checked, but nothing sounded off from my perspective and Lovefoxxx's antics made it easy to forget the interruption.

The energy really pumped up during their last couple songs and the encore, by the end the crowd was going crazy. Watching a packed house from the balcony of the Metro becomes a sea of lights and people moving as one entity, and Lovefoxxx dove right in and surfed the waves.

*Kirstie Shanley took some great photos of the show you can see on Gapers Block.