By: David de Young
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Interpol - photo by Pieter van Hattem
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Being the first band on a bill where the other two bands are much better known, openers Hail Social from Philadelphia could have looked at this as a throwaway gig. And as generally happens, a good part of the audience didn’t arrive until after they were finished. But even though I was in the middle of an engrossing “where were you when you heard this or that musician died?” discussion when the screen went up, Hail Social instantly beckoned to me from my spot back by the west staircase. They started strong and just kept going with a bouncy and tight set that sounded both seasoned and confident. They played like they knew they were worth listening to and expected you to pay attention, and guess what? It worked. Before they finished they joked, “Thanks to Interpol and Prince for having us,” and sadly, their 30 minute set was over as soon as it began. These boys are currently looking for a label. (Hint, hint.)
Next up were Secret Machines, a three piece powerhouse from Texas. Yes, they really are from Texas despite a sound that proves once again that even Texan rock bands are giving England a run for their money in Brit Pop these days. Secret Machines are bass player and vocalist Brandon Curtis who swaps out onto Fender Rhodes, Josh Garza on guitar, and Brandon’s brother Benjamin Curtis pounding the crap out of the drums right up at the front of the stage. I found myself thinking that while other bands are sitting around trying to figure out how to write pop songs, these guys are rocking people’s socks off. With the drummer up front, and band members lined up 1-2-3 in the front, and a killer light show (these guys turned on the bright lights---the kind that shine into the eyes of the audience---before Interpol even had a chance to.) I was aghast at times with their energy. I have yet to buy their album, Now Here is Nowhere, but I’d already made a note to keep an eye on these guys after seeing them fill an opening spot at the Fine Line last year. Based on the strength of the single Nowhere Again (one that has gotten strong radio play on alternative radio internationally) I can tell I ought to pick up their electronic disk, which is available for direct download from their website.
Interpol took the stage around 11 p.m., and though cliché, it’s safe to say the crowd was stoked. The band opened in a fitting cloud of smoke with No Exit, song 1 off the new album Antics, bass player Carlos D. moving in silhouette on the backlit stage. The set that followed was a well-chosen mixture of old and new. The band followed up with Obstacle 1 from 2002’s debut release Turn on the Bright Lights, but then dove right into Evil, song 2 off the new disk. Though one song in the 11 song +3 encore set sounded like it might have been a Dandy Warhols cover (though it wasn’t), Interpol has definitely carved its own sound both live and in the studio, and they are one of the more enjoyable to watch of the many near stationary bands I have seen in recent years. Interpol has perhaps become the band they might have been accused merely of merely as 2 years ago. During PDA, they took the middle break and drew it out so long that applause had the chance to rise to a roar before ending the break and finishing the song.
The 3 song encore done, people started to file from the club. Surveying the dance floor there was such a preponderance of plastic cups and broken bottles being swept up you’d think it was 1981 and a Circle Jerks show had just let out.
Interpol’s new album Antics doesn’t break any new ground, but it does come closer to perfecting what they tried to do with the first one. Hype schmype. Interpol is great fun live. It’s just too bad that you probably won’t be seeing them in the intimate confines of places like the 400 bar anymore where they played on their first Minneapolis visit 2 years ago.
Location Info:
First Avenue
Artist Info: Hail Social, Interpol, Secret Machines
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