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indie-snob>+!#
interpol @ the riviera (9-19-03)
with broke revue, the stills |
 Line-up: Interpol was most definitely one of my favorite new bands for 2002, and I'm sure a lot of critics and music fans alike would agree with me there. In our hearts, we all miss Joy Division’s Ian Curtis… in fact, many have just never gotten over his suicide and desperately seek a replacement. So, if you don't like Interpol… well, then, I guess you're maybe a Joy Division purist. If not that, then an incredibly dense music snob. If nothing else, Interpol is a spectacle. You've never seen so many good looking, normal guys dressed all in black (oh yes, even singer Paul Banks conformed this time). Not only that, but you've never heard such fashion-conscious men pump out such good, complex, goth-tinged jangles. NYC band Broke Revue opened. Yeah, you're right, they ARE a garage band. Yeah, you're right, they do sound a little like the White Stripes/the Strokes/the Black Keys. Yeah, you're right, they do play "low-down, gritty blues," how'd you know? Okay, you're right, I am sick of hearing these bands. It's not that I don't like the music or think that the musicians involved are talented, but I just can't stand when 8 million bands are all doing the same thing, which is one reason why I despise pop-punk and similar genres. I know I'm being hypocritical in a way: "here's Interpol, who sounds like Joy Division, but here's Broke Revue who isn't allowed to sound like anyone else." And in a way it's true, but I feel like Interpol really IS doing new. So, please understand that. Nothing wrong with Broke Revue's live show. Got old pretty quickly in my mind, but certainly nothing to sneeze at if you like the Black Keys or similar blues punk artists a whole lot. I know what you're expecting to hear… another NYC band right? WRONGO! The Stills, actually from CANADA, opened next. I've read some magazine/web articles about them before, most of them trying to compare them to a lot of the goth-esque bands from the 80s. With my experience, I heard none of that. Initially, I found myself unimpressed with their performance. I couldn't make out anything specifically groundbreaking about the band nor did I hear anything that just sounded great. Lots of pop elements all laid on top of each other in a jumbled mess. I got pretty bored hearing them live, but I just don't know why. The other night, though, I was watching Subterranean on MTV2 where I heard "Big Sur" by The Stills. Hearing this, I was amazed that the band I saw live was the same as this one. "Big Sur" was a pop throwback, like Rooney with talent. I heard more Beach Boys influences than 80s goth. So, I'm not sure what their problem was live. I mean, I did heard some good songs live, and they certainly didn't sound like a band to throw out, but I was just unimpressed with their performance. And so, strumming along that dark alley, out came Interpol, every member dressed in black. Unsurprisingly, they opened with "Untitled," which does work really well. Throughout the entire set, we witnessed a beautiful light show from Interpol which always worked extremely well with the song it accompanied. Despite that, I was much less impressed by this show. Sure, everything Interpol does sounds good live, but it sounds the same as the album. At least when I saw them at the music festival here in June, they were part of a larger environment where Paul Banks' voice echoed during "Stella" and the guitars reverberated through the north side neighborhood. To be honest, I preferred the setlist that night, too, but previous performances shouldn't detract from the merit of their current. I still like "Stella Was a Diver" live, as well as "Leif Erikson." The set still stuck very much to the album, this time debuting a brand spanking new song they called "Narc" in addition to one that's still labeled as "New Song" (which I commented on last time). Yeah, Interpol's a good band to see live. Yes, they are talented. Yes, their guitar lines are amazing. Nonetheless, I left this show feeling a little cheated. I paid quadruple the price from the last show ($5 to $20) and I didn't enjoy it as much. I guess I'm spoiled. Grade: A- Setlist: Related Reviews: |