Earlier in the week - the band gave the following statement to Paste, dismissing the allegations:
It’s come to our attention that certain allegations of abuse have been made against one or more of us on social media and in social circles of Chicago. We’d like to first state that sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent. We do not take these accusations lightly and consider this matter incredibly serious. We emphatically deny these baseless allegations brought as a personal attack against us. While callow altercations and vulgar language we’ve used in the past must be recognized and owned up to, the accusations of sexual assault are completely unfounded. No member of this band has ever acted without consent or maliciously taken advantage of anyone. We encourage anyone who’s been affected by sexual abuse to speak up and make their abusers known; however we also encourage everyone to be cautious of the things they read and say on the Internet. No victim of abuse should be hesitant to make their voice heard and if someone does feel that we’ve hurt them, we encourage them to contact us properly and privately (not via social media or anonymously), as to respect their identity.
We warned you all summer that Lucie Silvas was going to be a big deal ...
Well, now her album E.G.O. is out, her picture is plastered all over Times Square in New York City, her Rock N River Cruise is sold out - and she's performing on the TODAY Show! Sure hope you took our advice and got a ticket to see her on the Harbor Queen ...
Woah ... Pearl Jam's debut album TEN came out 27 years ago -
Yes- the album that gave us the now classic songs Jeremy, Alive, Black, Evenflow, and Oceans is over a quarter of a century old.
And just three months after this classic album was released - the band performed at Tower Records (rememeber them?) right down the road in Rockville, MD. Thankfully someone was there with a camcorder (remember THOSE?)
Check out the classic footage below -
Pearl Jam - Alive - 11/9/1991 - Tower Records - Rockville, MD
Pearl Jam - Black - 11/9/1991 - Tower Records - Rockville, MD
On October 5, 2018 - Universal Music will reissue John Lennon's 1971 iconic Imagine LP as a massive 140 song (six discs - 4 CDs / 2 Blu Rays ) box set!
The project was authorized and overseen by Yoko Ono Lennon. She also wrote the introduction for the box set's 120 page book - saying "“Imaginewas created with immense love and concern for the children of the world. I hope you enjoy it”.
Imagine - The Ultimate Collection includes new remastered stereo mix, raw studio recordings, outtakes, never-before-seen extras and a track-by-track audio documentary. The collection will also feature 5.1 surround mixes on Blu-ray and an updated quadrasonic mix for an even deeper listening experience.
And we have the first track from the set - a never before heard demo of the title track, Imagine
Self proclaimed Tesla fanatic, Jack White, stopped by the electric car manufacurer's Freemont California factory over the weekend and played a free concert (rememeber when he did the same thing at a DC High School?) to lift the spirits of the company's employees who have fallen behind on the production of the Tesla Model S.
“I am a huge fanatic and supporter of everything Tesla has been doing since day one, I’m proud to say I was one of the first Model S owners in Nashville, which I think is the greatest automobile ever made. It’s been a thought of mine for a few years now that I would love to do a free concert for the employees at the Fremont factory.”
The concert was cool and all ... but it got us feeling nostalic for the good ol' days when Jack showed Meg White his Tesla Coil ...
What the heck is Meg White up to these days anyways ? ? ?
Pearl Jam continued their epic (but brief) summer stadium tour this weekend - playing two shows at the famed home of the Chicago Cubs - Wrigley Field. The shows were a homecoming of sorts - as Eddie Vedder is from the nearby town of Evanston.
On Saturday night - the band played for nearly 3 hours (!) and went through a career spanning 32 song set list (see full list below).
The band kicked off their 2nd encore with Vedder paying tribute to his favorite MLB team - the Chicago Cubs. The team's 2016 World Series trophy was brought out and the band went on to cover David Bowie's Rebel Rebel for the first time ever. Check out fan footage of the show below -
Full Set List - Peark Jam - Wrigley Field - Chicago - 08/18/18
1. Wash
2. Low Light
3. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
Last week, Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono posted a selfie to his Instagram account that sent the internet into a frenzy - mostly fans of his father's band The Beatles. In the photo, Sean posed with Jamey McCartney - son of Paul and LindaMcCartney. The resemblance of the two and their fathers is uncanny! See for yourself:
Back in May, while she was in Atlanta to play the Shaky Knees Festival, Courtney Barnett and her band headed over to Piedmont Park and set up their gear to play the new album - Tell Me How You Really Feel. Luckily, there just happen to be some cameras there to capture it - check it out track by track below:
earlier this year we spent a few days in Atlanta, Georgia playing the new album in Piedmont Park! lemme tell you what... it was stinkin' hot. all of the videos are now up online and you can watch it here ????????????https://t.co/B3n4yp28Fwpic.twitter.com/O8JPqCkQ4u
We've gotten another song from Chan Marshall aka Cat Power's new album, Wanderer (Domino - due out October 5) , and it features none other then Lana Del Rey. The two songstresses work well together, and even though LDR doesn't appear in the song's video - below, her backing vocals come through loud and clear.
Our favorite eastern shore girl / pop folk star, Maggie Rogers, is back with another video /single for the song Give A Little (where's the album though?)
The video, directed by Alan Del Rio Ortiz, has a very 'That 70's Show' vibe - from the empty skate board / pool party to the Farrah Fawcett wardrobe.
Rogers had this to say about the video:
I had so much fun directing this video alongside Alan Del Rio Ortiz. I was obsessed with ’70s skate culture in high school and really just wanted to have a silly day recreating my favorite scenes from Lords Of Dogtown and paying homage to my favorite Farrah Fawcett photos. Those early skate videos feel so raw and powerful, it was important to me to show that that energy could also be female. It was super special to have my two college pals, Rachel Matthews and Camila Mendes, along for the ride. We’ve been friends since the first week of our freshman year, but our schedules have gotten so beautifully and amazingly kind of crazy since we graduated a couple years ago. It was so much fun just to spend the day dancing and giggling with each other like the old days
Check out the video below ... and seriously Maggie - when's the album coming out?
Showing some RESPECT to the Queen of Soul - and the first woman inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame - Aretha Franklin - who passsed away on August 16, 2018 - we take a look at 10 of our favorite songs by the QUEEN:
I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Loved You)
It was her debut single for Atlantic and it quickly shot straight in to the top ten. The Queen had arrived.
Baby I Love You
Quintessential ‘60’s soul. With her sisters Carolyn and Erma on backing vocals The Queen of Soul manages to sound sexy and empowering all at once.
Respect
Quite simply it is one of the most famous recordings of all time. Otis Redding wrote it but Aretha owned it and she added the “sock-it-to-me’s” and spelled out R-E-S-P-E-C-T. She not only made it her own she made it synonymous with her name
Chain of Fools
A classic and one of her best vocal performances.
Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
This song like others Franklin made famous (Respect, Think, Spanish Harlem) became feminist anthems. Whether or not Aretha set out to become a feminine icon she was one of the first to sing honestly and sincerely from a female perspective that had long been overlooked in an industry dominated by men.
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Simon and Garfunkel took it to #1 but what Aretha did with it was champion the gospel depths Simon and Garfunkel could only hint at.
Think
Otis may have written Respect but not long afterwards Aretha herself penned this ode to female empowerment and vividly brought it to life playing herself in the 1980 classic film The Blues Brothers.
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Her long time producer Jerry Wexler asked Carole King to write a song specifically for Aretha that transcended heartache and really captured and illuminated had much the Queen of Soul rejoiced in love. It became one of her signature songs
I Say a Little Prayer
Aretha and her backing vocalist, The Sweet Inspirations, were warming up in the studio with this Dionne Warwick song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and thank goodness someone had the good sense to hit record.
Spanish Harlem
The song was written and released by Ben E. King in 1960. Aretha released a cover version of it in 1971 that outperformed the original on the charts, charting #1 R&B for three weeks and #2 Pop for two weeks. Aretha Franklin's version earned a gold single for sales of over one million. Dr. John played keyboards on Franklin's version.
Sir Paul McCartney has dropped another single from his upcoming LP Egypt Station, a "raunchy love song" entitled "Fuh You."
In a press release regarding the single, McCartney says "I was in the studio with Ryan Tedder whereas the rest of the album has been made with Greg Kurstin.... We were just thinking of ideas and little pieces of melody and chords and the song just came together bit by bit. And then I would try and make some kind of sense of the story. So it was like, 'Come on, baby, now. Talk about yourself. Tell the truth, let me get to know you,' and basically I wanna know how you feel, you make me wanna go out and steal. I just want it for you. So that was the basic idea and it developed from there..."
Check it out for yourself below:
Egypt Station is due for release on September 7 via Capitol Records.
Leon Bridges has kept busy this Summer, releasing his sophomore LP Good Thing back in June, touring the nation, and even collaborating with eyewear designer Ahlem Manai-Platt to release his own sunglasses!
Now, Bridges has released two new versions of his hit single “Beyond” with videos to boot! One is a stripped-down acoustic rendition of the song and the other a remix that incorporates elements of 70s funk and soul. Listen to both below and let us know which is your favorite in the comments!
Joe Strummer cut his teeth with The Clash during the band’s decade-long run starting in 1976, but for almost two decades following the band’s dissolution Strummer led a diverse and prolific solo career, playing with bands the 101ers and the Mescaleros and even dipping his toes in the world of film.
This post-Clash work is chronicled in the upcoming box set, Joe Strummer 001, which combines Strummer’s solo work with songs recorded with the 101ers, Mescaleros, and former bandmate Mick Jones.
The latest single from the collection, “Rose of Erin,” tells the story of a young woman who shoots her lover and skips town. It was written for the 1993 Sara Driver film, When Pigs Fly. Though a version of it did appear in the film, the song is previously unreleased.
Listen to the track, which blends traditional Irish folk with orchestral and rock music, below:
In Dave Grohl's latest effort to top Dave Grohl - Dave enlisted 6 clones of himself to create an epic 23 minute track, titled PLAY. OK ... not really - but Dave did play all seven instruments on the track - which is the first of a 2 part docuseries celebrating "the rewards and challenges of dedicating one's life to playing music."
Check out the full video below -
You can head to Grohl's Roswell Films website and check out isoloated tracks of each instrument: https://play.roswellfilms.com/
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke has announced a series of US tour dates later this year, set to begin in Philadelphia on November 23rd and run through December.
During the 19-date tour, Yorke will be accompanied by producer Nigel Godrich and audiovisual artist Tarik Barri, both of whom work with Yorke in Atoms for Peace. He will receive direct support from cellist Oliver Coates.
Later this year, Yorke makes his film-scoring debut for Luca Guadagnino’s remake of the 1977 horror classic Suspiria.
Tickets for the 2018 US Tour go on sale beginning August 17th. Catch Thom Yorke at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC on November 30th. See the full list of dates below:
Thom Yorke 2018 Tour Dates:
11/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
11/24 – Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre
11/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
11/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
11/30 – Washington, DC @ John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall
12/01 – Cleveland, OH @ Keybank State Theatre
12/02 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Cathedral Theatre
12/04 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
12/05 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
12/06 – Minneapolis, MN @ Northrop at the University of Minnesota
12/08 – St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre
12/09 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
12/11 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
12/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union
12/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/17 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory
12/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
12/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
12/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan
Pearl Jam played Seattle’s Safeco Field on Friday night and brought with them an entourage of guest performers including Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil and Mudhoney’s Mark Arm and Steve Turner.
Amidst a massive setlist spanning the band’s discography, Pearl Jam also played a number of covers including songs by Pink Floyd, Chris Cornell, and Tom Petty.
About halfway through the set, the band followed up their own classic “Even Flow” with a cover of Cornell’s “Missing,” a deep-cut from the late Soundgarden front man’s 1992 EP Poncier. Later, during the first of two separate encores, Eddie Vedder delivered an emotional rendition of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” fighting back tears as he reminisced about seeing Petty perform at Safeco Field just last summer.
Pearl Jam also performed two punk classics with the help of Thayil, Arm, and Turner; The Stooges’ “Search and Destroy” and Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer.”
Take a look at the full setlist below:
Setlist:
Oceans
Footsteps
Nothingman
Why Go
Brain of J.
Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd cover)
Corduroy
Rats
In Hiding
Whipping
Even Flow
Missing (Chris Cornell cover)
Daughter (with “W.M.A” and “It’s Ok” tag)
Immortality
I’m Open
Unthought Known
Can’t Deny Me
Do the Evolution
Lukin
Porch
Encore:
I Won’t Back Down (Tom Petty cover) (EV solo)
Thin Air
All or None
Better Man (with “Save It for Later” by English Beat tag)
Crown of Thorns (Mother Love Bone cover)
Kick Out the Jams (MC5 cover) (with Kim Thayil)
Spin the Black Circle
Rearviewmirror (with “Fernando” (ABBA) snippet)
Encore 2:
Crazy Mary (Victoria Williams cover)
Jeremy
Leash
Search and Destroy (Iggy and The Stooges cover) (With Kim Thayil, Steve Turner, and Mark Arm)
Sonic Reducer (Dead Boys cover) (With Kim Thayil, Steve Turner, and Mark Arm)
American Folk legend Bob Dylan announced a new series of U.S. tour dates on Monday night, set to begin in early October.
The 25 new dates will take Dylan on an expedition across the Southern U.S., beginning in Midland, TX and concluding during early November in Richmond, KY.
Dylan’s kept busy this year, contributing a rendition of the standard “She’s Funny That Way” (retitled “He’s Funny That Way”) to a compilation supporting gay marriage back in April. He also announced the genesis of his very own line of whiskey, Heaven’s Door.
Dylan’s most recent album, the three-disc standards compilation Triplicate, dropped last Spring.
Check out the full list of new dates below:
October 9 – Midland, TX @ Noël Performing Arts Center
October 10 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory
October 12 – Tulsa, OK @ River Spirit Casino Resort
October 13 – Thackerville, OK @ WinStar World Casino and Resort
October 14 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre
October 16 – Lafayette, LA @ Heymann Center
October 17 – Mobile, AL @ Mobile Saenger Theatre
October 19 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
October 20 – Clearwater, Florida @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
October 21 – Sarasota, FL @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
October 23 – Fort Myers, FL @ Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
October 24 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts
October 26 – Orlando, FL @ Walt Disney Theater
October 27 – Macon, GA @ City Auditorium
October 28 – Chattanooga, TN @ Tivoli Theatre
October 30 – Huntsville, AL @ Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
October 31 – Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre
November 2 – Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
November 3 – Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
November 4 – North Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Performing Arts Center
November 6 – Savannah, GA @ Johnny Mercer Theatre
November 7 – Augusta, GA @ The Bell Auditorium
November 9 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
November 10 – Roanoke, VA @ Berglund Performing Arts Theatre
November 11 – Richmond, KY @ EKU Center for the Arts
Last month, Paul Simon announced In the Blue Light, an album consisting entirely of reworked renditions of previously released originals.
Today, Simon released his new version of the oldest song in the 10-track collection, “One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor.” The song, which originally appeared on There Goes Rhymin’ Simon in 1973, has not been drastically reworked but is markedly higher-energy and features more aggressive use of Simon's driving honkey-tonk piano.
In the Blue Light, due for release on September 7, also saw contributions from Wynton Marsalis, Bill Frisell, Steve Gadd, and others. Listen to both versions of “One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor” below.
According to a new report published by multinational investment bank Citigroup on Monday night, artists received only 12% of the $43 billion in revenue generated by the U.S. music industry last year.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers and analysts from Citigroup, found that the vast majority of revenue was being pocketed by distribution services like streaming platforms, and record companies.
Though insanely low, 12% is actually a marked increase from 2000, when artists made only 7% of total industry revenue. The increase is attributed to a stronger focus on touring and a larger number of artists releasing their own music, thereby keeping more revenue for themselves.
The indie songstress joined God's favorite customer, Father John Misty, on stage at a recent tour stop in Toronto and performed the title track to Mr. Tillman's latest album - God's Favorite Customer. She pretty much nails the part ... maybe she's been practicing in the shower.. or at karaoke night somewhere? Check out the video of the duet below.
Father John Misty played The Anthem on August 2, check out the photos here
Vampire Weekend played Lollapalooza last night, opening their set with not one, not two, but three consecutive performances fan favorite “A-Punk.”
Front man Ezra Koenig purportedly referred to the band’s fans as “VW-heads,” an allusion to the band’s recent fascination with The Grateful Dead, which they made apparent during their set with a series of noodly guitar solos and extended jams.
The 18-song set also included an extended rendition of the SBTRKT/Ezra Koenig collaboration “New Dorp. New York” and snippets from Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man” and the theme from Seinfeld.
Before closing their set with another fan favorite, “Walcott,” Koenig announced that the band’s latest album is finished and currently being mastered. The band teased a song from the album earlier this year at a gig in Ojai, CA. The track, called “Flower Moon,” will apparently feature Steve Lacy of The Internet.
Famed songwriter Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released an animated video yesterday for the quartet’s classic anthem “Teach Your Children.”
The video, which tackles political issues faced by the United States during the 1960s and today, was created by New York-based filmmaker, animator, and painter Jeff Scher. Watch below.
Nash also announced another leg of his 2018 North American tour in support of his most recent studio album, This Path Tonight.
2018 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
SEPT 19 – Paramount Theatre - Austin, TX
SEPT 20 – Dosey Doe - The Big Barn - The Woodlands, TX
SEPT 21 – Arlington Music Hall - Arlington, TX
SEPT 23 – Chautauqua Auditorium - Boulder, CO
SEPT 24 – The Stanley Hotel - Estes Park, CO
SEPT 25 – Strings Music Pavilion - Steamboat Springs, CO
SEPT 27 – The Commonwealth Room - Salt Lake City, UT
SEPT 29 – The Montbleu Resort Casino & Spa – Lake Tahoe, CA
OCT 1 – Edmonds Center for the Arts - Edmonds, WA
OCT 2 – The Aladdin - Portland, OR
OCT 3 – Cascade Theatre - Redding, CA
OCT 5 – Crest Theatre - Sacramento, CA
OCT 7 – Golden State Theater - Monterey, CA
OCT 9 – Lobero Theatre – Santa Barbara, CA
OCT 10 – Tower Theatre Fresno – Fresno, CA
OCT 11 – The Theatre at Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, CA
OCT 13 – Humphrey’s Concerts – San Diego, CA
OCT 15 – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – Scottsdale, AZ
Arctic Monkeys’ current world tour in support of their latest album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, has been rife with geographically appropriate covers. Early last month, French fans enjoyed a rendition of Elvis Costello’s “Lipstick Vogue” à la Monkeys. A few weeks later, the band treated fans at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium to a cover of “Is This It” by NYC’s own Strokes.
On Wednesday night, the Monkeys took Detroit by storm with a cover of The White Stripes “The Union Forever.” Watch below as Turner delivers Jack White’s lyrics with his own signature swagger and sleaze.
The White Stripes formed in Detroit in 1997. Detroit is also currently home to Third Man Records’ secondary campus.
So needless to say, we're pumped for Dave's newest project, Play, a two part documentary - culminating in Dave playing 7 instruments on a new 23 - minute track - due out August 10th.
The project showcases "“the rewards and challenges of dedicating ones life to playing and mastering a musical instrument.”
Grohl also said in a statement - "Watching my kids start to play music and learn to sing or play drums, it brings me back to the time when I was their age listening to albums, learning from listening… and when I take my kids to the place where they take their lessons, I see these rooms full of children that are really pushing themselves to figure this out.
And even now, as a 49-year-old man, I’m still trying to figure it out… it’s not something that you ever truly master. You’re always chasing the next challenge, and you’re always trying to find a way to improve on what you’ve learned.”
Since its inception in 1991, Lollapalooza has been gold standard for music festivals (ok – maybe not in 2004 when it was cancelled or 1998-2002 when it was on hiatus). Over the past twenty years, the festival’s curators have put together line-ups that have been stellar to the point of incredible … and not just the headliners, many others acts who play the side stages have ended up showing back up as headliners in following years. We’ve gone back and reviewed every lineup and ranked them from best to worst:
Lollapalooza’s first year and they had four incredible artist to start it off with and one of the most outrageous band names of all time. I am going to let you figure out the band I am referring to.
Headlining: Jane’s Addiction, Violent Femmes, Ice T, Nine Inch Nails and The Butthole Surfers.
SA: Lana Del Rey, Jane’s Addiction, M83, Two Door Cinema Club, Bastille, Leon Bridges, Griz, Nathaniel Ratlief and the Night Sweats, St. Motel, Strumbellas.
Headliners: Paul McCartney, Metallica, Florence and the Machine
SA: Alt-J, Alabama Shakes, Of Monsters and Men, Tame Impala, The War on Drugs, Father John Misty, Cold War Kids, Lord Huron, Glass Animals, George Ezra, Moon Taxi, Borns.
SA: The XX, Lorde, Blink-182, Alt-J, Cage the Elephant, The Head and the Heart, Foster the People, The Shins, Liam Gallagher, Glass Animals, Phantogram, Spoon, Milky Chance, Vance Joy, George Ezra, Rag N’ Bone Man, Maggie Rogers.
Here it is, my number one choice. Firstly, in its second year as a festival, Lollapalooza had the most famous headliners in all of America and their supporting acts were almost just as liked. If it wasn’t for the tour in 1992 and it going so well, Lollapalooza may never have been the powerhouse it is today.
Headliners: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Soundgarden, Pearl Jame, Lush.
SA: Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, Temple of the Dog..
Please feel free to comment and give your opinion on how you feel about it and if you would change anything.
Weezer made their way onto the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in almost a decade back in June, reaching No. 89 with their long-awaited cover of Toto’s karaoke classic “Africa.”
Toto has since returned the favor, recording a cover of Weezer’s 2001 single “Hash Pipe.”
“We figured since we were smoking hash since before they were born, that’s the one we should do” said front man Steve Lukather before going into the song during the band’s Monday night performance in Vancouver.
A studio version of the cover is set for release on August 10th.
On Saturday, England’s own Arctic Monkeys took The Anthem stage in Washington D.C. for their first of two consecutive nights at the capitol’s newest and most illustrious music venue. Traversing the globe on a world tour in support of their sixth and latest studio LP, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, the Monkeys have come a long way from their scrappy beginnings as Sheffield teens writing punchy punk songs about the Sheffield nightlife.
In 2018, an Arctic Monkeys record draws, to questionable effect, from a mishmash of stylistic and aesthetic influences ranging from Nina Simone to The Rolling Stones, and this smorgasbord translates notably to the Arctic Monkeys live experience, for which the band donned their best disco apparel and performed in front a large, vintage-looking backlit display reading simply “Monkeys.”
The first thing many fans likely noticed when Alex Turner and company took the stage on Saturday night was Turner’s new look. Long-gone is the slicked-back pompadour and gone too is the charmingly unkept 70s mane. What’s left is a close buzzcut à la Turner’s close friend and collaborator Josh Homme.
Photo by Tedd Henn
With the haircut, or perhaps preceding it, is a refined sense of confidence on Turner’s part. For years now, the Monkeys’ front man has displayed a performative braggadocio onstage that’s lent itself to the unabashed rock’n’roll-worship of their last few albums. Now, though, Turner performs with a buoyancy that doesn’t seem altogether in-character. Perhaps he’s finally feeling like one of the Strokes.
On Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, we saw Arctic Monkeys compromise their signature songwriting prowess in favor of aesthetic experiments and stylistic gimmicks, some of which, when applied to better songs than the pseudo-vintage stock we saw on the
LP, are actually pretty cool. The tinny, retro electric organ tones that see so much emphasis on Tranquility, for example, receive new life when worked into Monkeys’ classics “505” and “Cornerstone.”
Photo by Tedd Henn
In general, Arctic Monkeys continue to stay in touch with their back catalog, performing songs from across their discography with new energy and executing aesthetic updates and embellishments with grace. Take, for example, an extended jam improvised around the closing riff from “505” to brilliant effect. Suffice to say, with six albums under their belt, we should feel lucky to see Arctic Monkeys remain so adaptive, dynamic, and creative while retaining an appreciation for their roots.
Setlist:
Four Out of Five
Arabella
Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair
Crying Lightning
Knee Socks
505 (Extended jam)
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
Do Me a Favour
Cornerstone
One Point Perspective
Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?
Brianstorm
Batphone (With a snippet from the original Batman theme song)
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