HOT CHELLE RAE

Casino Ballroom
Hampton Beach
Hampton, NH
August 31, 2011

Hot Chelle Rae opened for Big Time Rush at their sold out show in Hampton Beach, NH! Having only ever heard one song of theirs, and not knowing anything else of this band, I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see and hear this group perform.

I expected a clone of Big Time Rush but was so very wrong. This was not a dancing boy band -- Hot Chelle Rae ROCKED! RK Follese, the lead singer, has a dynamite voice to go with his effervescent personality. The drummer, Jamie Follese, kept a rocking beat and his constant smile lit up the room. The lead guitarist, Nash Overstreet, and bass player, Ian Keaggy, were equally brilliant and amazing.

Hot Chelle Rae started with a song called, Beautiful Freaks, then, I Like it Like That. They also performed a cover of Katy Perry’s, Teenage Dream, which was fantastic and ended with their Top 40 hit, Tonight Tonight.

Unfortunately, I did not get a copy of the set-list but Hot Chelle Rae performed approximately seven songs. Those few songs in between the above mentioned ones, I’d like to say were an eclectic mix of pop-punk-rock. Some had a Ramones-like feel to them, while others had more of a pulsating, pumping pop-rock grind to them

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At one point RK strapped on an acoustic guitar and began to softly strum a beautiful melody then he stopped, looked to the audience and said, “C’mon people raise your cell phones up – let’s light this place up.” (Oh how times have changed. In my days it was a Bic lighter we held up.) With the audiences phones held high, the rest of the band joined RK as the song sped up then took on a new rockin life of its own, making us dance and smile.

I must say if you didn’t come to Hampton Beach a fan of Hot Chelle Rae then you definitely left as one.

At the end of the night Hot Chelle Rae stayed in the ballroom, taking pictures and signing autographs for fans.  I can’t say enough what an amazing group they were. They have staying power and I look forward to seeing and hearing a lot more from them in the near future.

If you get a chance to see them perform, GO… I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.


For more music reviews visit my website: Rock-it-Write

Band Website: Hot Chelle Rae