03-01 the Strokes in NYC @ Hammerstein Ballroom
Returning home to NYC, the Strokes treated a packed crowd to a Technicolor reminder that the big buzz didn't start with their outfits or celeb friends - it started with great songs & awesome live shows. Haters will harp on (and on and on) about the uneven moments on their albums; but the best selections from each played one played one after another live is an explosive force no one should miss. Few rock bands can claim to have written as many great SONGS as the Strokes since 2001 - and this set was the proof.
The first evening of a three night stand in NYC was heavy in older material with several newer songs, a cover Ramone's "Life is a Gas", and a rumbling version of their new hit "Heart in a Cage" mixed in. The crowd was packed with alot more college kids and youngsters than it was the first time I saw them at Hammerstein back in 2001 and they weren't shy about singin’ along rockin' & dancin'. Either were the grinning celebs up in the VIP (Lucy Liu, Coldplay, etc.). The energy level was just as high on stage as the Strokes played an amazingly long set - over 20 songs! (But no "Meet me in the Bathroom" or "Fear of Sleep" - hopefully next time they'll play 30).
Hey haters, think your band is better than the Strokes - then take it to the stage and prove it!
Ed Note: Here's a question... First time I saw the Strokes was at Brownies back in 2000. They played all these cool songs and I was pretty impressed. About a year later "Is this It" comes out and not one of the songs I heard at Brownies was on the album. What the hell happened to all those songs?
Labels: Strokes
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