The Strokes, one of the many “the bands” (i.e., The Hives, The Vines, The White Stripes et al) that received national recognition in 2001, showed a near-capacity crowd at The Paramount Theatre why they are the standout group of the bunch Monday night.
The Strokes broke through the monotony in rock music know as nu-metal circa the mid-to-late 1990s. The band combated rap-rock lyrics and distortion-driven sludgy guitar riffs with a polished garage-rock style and tight, danceable-rhythms.
Those same dance rhythms and clean musicianship are what made the band’s performance an enjoyable one. Singer Julian Casablancas’ vocals were clearly distinguishable and the rest of the band sounded well-polished throughout the show.
The set began with “I Can’t Win” which was followed by “Automatic Stop,” both from the band’s latest album Room on Fire. From there, the band pumped out more than an hour’s worth of the gritty, stripped-down rock it is known for.
The performance concentrated heavily on songs from the new album, but plenty of songs from 2001’s Is This It made their way into the mix. “Alone Together,” “Last Night” and “Someday” were some of the better songs of the night.
But the highlight had to be the guitar work of Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. during “Take It Or Leave It.” The two ax-men were sensational throughout the set, but it was the aforementioned song that truly showcased their abilities.
While the music itself was impressive enough to win over the most skeptical critics (this reviewer included), the stage lighting was almost nearly as intriguing.
The band never fully showed itself during the show. Instead, the stage was illuminated in shades of red, orange, yellow, purple, blue and green, making band members appear to be silhouettes instead of full-featured people. One assumes this creative and colorful approach to a stage show is meant to allow for the music to be the center of attention, not the performers.
It was disappointing not being able to fully see Casablancas and the rest of the band while they performed, but it also notched up the band’s cool factor into the stratosphere. The only annoying lighting effect was during “Reptilia,” when flashing strobes speedily flickered fast enough to send a non-epileptic person into a seizure.
Although he introduced nearly half of the songs during the band’s17-song set, Casablancas didn’t have much to say to the crowd, but he did make mention of the local music scene.
However, he didn’t reference Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder or the slew of up-and-coming local indie bands beginning to be thrust into the spotlight. Instead, he simply said: “Yeah, Jimi Hendrix. I’ve heard of him,” taking the band’s cool factor to another planet.
Whether or not the band’s level of coolness is terrestrial became a mute point after The Strokes set. Rock ‘n’ roll is about moving a crowd, having fun and making an impact with a live performance. And The Strokes accomplished these tasks with ease.
