Here is a little bit of history for you: This show was supposed to happen two years ago. In fact, it was supposed to happen almost two years to date. We had it booked. It was the same month, the same band… practically the same everything. I remember that we announced the show and got a bunch of positive responses. Hell, we even printed up posters.

(And, man, they were awesome: They actually glowed in the dark. No wonder there’s still some of them hanging up around the MySpace Music skyscraper.)

But alas, Hot Chip programmer Felix Martin became ill, preventing him from boarding a plane to Chicago for the show. It was a sad turn of events, but fortunately Felix recovered and the band’s label and management sent us an email saying: “Don’t worry, we’ll owe you one.”

Well, it took two years, but let’s give our hats off to them: the men Hot Chip keep their word. The locale had to change (sorry about that Chicago!) but this past Friday in New York at the Highline, the UK-based electro -pop group put on a show so good, that you could easily forget that it was, like, four degrees outside.

They weren’t alone in this endeavor: Astralwerks labelmates Free Energy got things going with songs from their forthcoming James Murphy-produced debut, Stuck On Nothing. When you hear James’ name, you can help but imagine something at least remotely similar to Murphy’s dance-inspired group LCD Soundsystem.

Not exactly: Instead the guys in Free Energy delivered a brand of power pop that wouldn’t sound out of place playing in the background on a re-run of That ’70s Show. Definitely get that debut when it drops next on March 9th. After Free Energy’s brief set, it was time for Hot Chip to take the stage. And for, well, everyone to sweat through their V-neck sweaters.

For the next hour, the guys touched on every major point in their career, whether it was old school favorite “The Boy From School,” 2008’s “Ready For The Floor,” or opener “Thieves In The Night” from their new album, One Life Stand. They played them all and the crowd, as Hot Chip fans are wont to do, responded with some of the most endearingly geeky dance moves around.

We have a lot of people to thank for making this show happen, like the folks at Astralwerks, the staff at the Highline and of course the members of both bands. You guys rule. And, while this was our first show of the year, it’s far from our last. We’re going to be making some major improvements to Secret Shows in 2010 (you guys like the livestream we had?), so keep checking back here as things progress.