I once sat on my ass and read through one of those hot chocolate coffee table books. You know, the ones that people intentionally display in their homes to act like they're much cooler than you. Oh me? I do it too -- big deal. Now back to the subject at hand, and believe me, this subject was definitely in my hands one dark and cold evening last winter. It consumed my mind and forced me to make myself a cup of hot chocolate. Plus, I discovered many amazing facts about hot chocolate that I will now spontaneously share with you!
- In 18th Century England, Chocolate Houses were built for the elite hot chocolate drinkers because chocolate was a rare and expensive commodity.
- Hot chocolate was originally just called chocolate since the chocolate bar hadn't been invented by Willy Wonka yet. After the invention of the chocolate bar, the elite chocolate aficionados were forced to call their precious chocolate drink, "hot chocolate."
- Hot chocolate is extremely tasty with marshmallows.
- The first hot cocoa recipe originally involved cocoa, water, wine, and peppers. Ew, peppers!
- Hot chocolate is even tastier with marshmallows and whipped topping.
- Hot chocolate is typically associated with James Taylor Christmas covers, sledding, fleece blankets, and making out on a couch near a fire.
- Hot chocolate is even more ridiculously tastier with marshmallows, whipped topping, and chocolate syrup on the whipped topping. To add to the tastiness, you can even add a peppermint stick for aesthetics and taste.
For more of those amazing facts, visit a coffee table near you! Now back to the real creamy, chocolaty substance of this story.
Blonde Redhead may or may not drink hot chocolate to current scholarly coffee-book knowledge, but the minimal two-month tour during the months of August and September and not the wintry months to follow could only be explained by a desire to create more excellent indie rock and/or pat themselves on the back for getting their new album 23 (TMT Review) into the best-of lists for 2007. And let us not forget the real reason for the short jaunt. Blonde Redhead will need lots of time this winter to try the plethora of delicious hot chocolate drinks of the world.
I just heard from a friend of a friend of a little birdie in the industry that you can buy special-edition Blonde Redhead hot chocolate mugs at these venues:
08.03.07 - Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08.04.07 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
08.05.07 - Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Park Pool *
08.07.07 - Philadelphia, PA - Fillmore #
08.08.07 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live #
08.17.07 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
08.18.07 - Los Angeles, CA - Sunset Junction
08.19.07 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
09.07.07 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
09.08.07 - Montreal, Quebec - Parc Jean-Drapeau (Osheaga Festival)
09.09.07 - Toronto, Ontario - Islands Park (V Festival)
09.10.07 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theater
09.12.07 - Columbia, MO - Blue Note
09.13.07 - Oklahoma City, OK - Bricktown Ballroom
* I'm From Barcelona
# Beach House
