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“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere” is how frontman Pelle Almqvist of Swedish rock band The Hives introduced his band to the sold-out crowd at New York City’s Brooklyn Paramount last Wednesday. And what a crowd it was, jumping, singing, crowdsurfing, you name it, this crowd was not leaving without exhausting every last bit of energy they came with.
First up on the bill for the night was Australian punk-rock band The Chats, who played the part perfectly to warm up the crowd and get everyone moving. They, of course, included some hits like “Smoko,” “Pub Feed,” and “Identity Theft” alongside many others for a very respectable, nearly 20-song opening set. Towards the end of their set, the group brought out Sarah Greenwell of GYMSHORTS to cover their song “Heaps New York,” which features The Chats in its music video.
When it came time for The Hives to take the stage, fans first got a look at the five illuminated balloons spelling out “Hives” that hovered over the stage. The band kicked it off with the high-energy “Enough Is Enough” as Pelle Almqvist and his brother, and guitarist, Niklas, jumped around on and off the stage, coming right down to the barricade to sing up close with fans and crowdsurf while playing the guitar.
After a chaotic but thrilling first three songs, which also included “Walk Idiot Walk” and “Rigor Mortis Radio,” I made my way to watch the rest of the show towards the back of the venue. Though it had taken a while to fill in, once The Hives began their set, it was close to the busiest I had ever seen Brooklyn Paramount, with fans spilling over into the sides and back bar areas.
About halfway through the set, The Hives played one of their most recognizable hits, “Hate to Say I Told You So,” pausing halfway through to have the crowd join in. “We don’t sing the chorus, we sing the mix!” is how Almqvist instructed the crowd to sing along for the bridge and chorus for the rest of the song. Other notable songs in the setlist included “Paint a Picture” and “Main Offender,” before ending the main set before the encore with “Tick Tick Boom.”
The band closed with “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives,” the closing track from their latest album of the same name. Singer Almqvist mentioned somewhat ominously at the beginning of the set that this would be the band’s last show in NYC for a little while, so we’ll have to see what they’ll be up to next. The Hives’ current tour wraps up in the U.S. at the end of the week before the band plays a slew of festivals in Europe beginning in June.
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