**The Hives with The Chats at House of Blues — A Night to Remember**
On Friday, The Hives took the stage at the House of Blues, joined by Australian openers The Chats. When The Hives first arrived on our shores a quarter of a century ago, they were quickly grouped with bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes, and The Vines—representing a new wave of rock and roll proving that the genre was alive and thriving.
While The Vines imploded almost immediately, The White Stripes continued for a few more albums before evolving into Jack White’s acclaimed solo career. The Strokes persisted but with diminishing returns. Meanwhile, The Hives kept going strong. Despite a 12-year gap between albums and a single lineup change swapping out bassists—reportedly for health reasons—the Swedish band has proven themselves the most devoted among their contemporaries, committed to their craft for the long haul.
That dedication was on glorious display Friday night. The band performed with the fervor and commitment of their younger selves, combined with the confidence and mastery of time-honed veterans. This was evident as both new and classic songs were met with equally enthusiastic responses, indicating the audience’s love for both The Hives of today and The Hives of 2001.
Crowd favorites like the snarling chords of “Hate To Say I Told You So” and the sharply scuzzy “Main Offender” blended seamlessly with new tracks such as the opener “Enough Is Enough” and the triumphant closer “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives,” both from their latest album released last year.
Frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist stoked the crowd’s fervor with his seasoned skills as a master of ceremonies. His self-aggrandizing hype—“Are you happy?”—followed by “Well, you are now,” could have felt smug but instead came across as generosity. The Hives genuinely believe they are the best at what they do, and that belief carries a responsibility to prove it every show.
“We have crossed oceans,” Almqvist declared. “We have slain dragons. We are foreign imports, so we have paid tariffs.” He engaged the audience by having them count backwards from ten leading into “Countdown To Shutdown,” only to cut them off and command, “Shut up and clap your hands!”
The band’s guitarists played complementary roles reminiscent of AC/DC’s Angus and Malcolm Young, swapping between rhythm and lead. Vigilante Carlstroem provided a steady anchor while Nicholaus Arson delivered a twitchy, rhythmic attack paired with big-eyed, neck-snapping antics, making him the more theatrical showman.
A unique moment came mid-set during “Paint A Picture,” when the entire band froze dead still for a full minute. The stage also saw periodic visits from a roadie dressed in ninja garb, adding to the spectacle by banging tambourines or cowbells and expertly managing Almqvist’s microphone cord so it was always the perfect length as he moved around the stage and into the crowd.
Despite these theatrical touches, the musicianship was incredibly tight. Songs like “Tick Tick Boom” and the breakneck “O.C.D.O.D.” displayed impeccable synchronization, with the instruments melding seamlessly. Tracks like “Bogus Operandi” featured clipped swerves, while the churning, propulsive “Roll Out The Red Carpet” hit hard thanks to the band’s lockstep performance.
It didn’t matter that some might debate whether The Hives’ songs were merely authoritative-sounding nonsense or that Almqvist’s vocal range is limited to enthusiastic declamation rather than traditional singing. The power in the material and performances spoke for itself—from the choppy discombobulation of “Walk Idiot Walk” to the groaning swing of “Stick Up,” every song carried a sharp glare and seethed with aggression.
More than anything, The Hives promised their audience a good time—something few bands truly deliver. Near the show’s end, Almqvist gushed, “We love you! You love us!,” a sentiment the band had worked hard to make feel genuine. As The Hives took their bows, Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” played in the background, a perfect ironic backdrop for a band that unquestionably does.
Australian openers The Chats brought their own wild energy, their music a raw, garage-y blast that made for an ideal precursor to The Hives. Frontman and bassist Eamon Sandwith embodied wiry punk aggression, drummer Matt Boggis appeared nonchalantly bored, and guitarist Josh Hardy looked as if he’d just rolled out of bed—yet played with the urgency of someone afraid of being late.
Marc Hirsh can be reached at [email protected] or on Bluesky @spacecitymarc.bsky.social.
—
### Setlist for The Hives at House of Blues, March 20, 2026
1. Enough Is Enough
2. Walk Idiot Walk
3. Rigor Mortis Radio
4. Paint A Picture
5. Main Offender
6. Born A Rebel
7. Roll Out The Red Carpet
8. Stick Up
9. Bogus Operandi
10. Hate To Say I Told You So
11. O.C.D.O.D.
12. Countdown To Shutdown
13. Come On!
14. Tick Tick Boom
https://www.boston.com/culture/concert-reviews/2026/03/21/review-setlist-we-are-foreign-imports-so-we-have-paid-tariffs/