MINNEAPOLIS,
MN - Ahhhh, music. Rock music. Indie Rock? I don't know for sure. A retro-post-punk-disco-glam-jam?
No. The papers would have you believe that. Interpol, live in person, is
music, rock music, maybe indie rock, but mostly it's an uncomfortable experience.
Tension reigns supreme, the songs build, and then pull back, and build,
and pull back and end. Other songs are jagged-bad-acid-trip-R.O.C.K.-songs
bouncing around your skull. And all the songs have a beat you can dance
to. But your muscles are tense and tight and your teeth clench and you
rock back and forth and you taste blood, and you close your eyes hoping
to release the tension and your life becomes a run-on sentence.
The
band opened with "Untitled", not coincidentally, as the song is the first
track on their CD. I did miss the bendy-line-chord that is thrown in on
the CD version, but I guess they only have two guitarists. Oh well. They
played the whole Turn On The Bright Lights CD, although I am assuming...
you see, I left before the "encore", but that opening set comprised of
all but two or three songs from the record (I'm a bit fuzzy on the song
titles, it's the old age). I also assumed they saved "Obstacle 2" for the
encore (which I was a bit sad to miss, but not too sad). I assume the encore
was "The New", a new song, perhaps, and "Obstacle 2" (or maybe just "Obstacle
2"). They also did not play my favorite Interpol song, "The Specialist"
(from their 3-song s/t EP). Oh kay... where was I...
Yes!
The band's non-stop touring has totally created one of the tightest, well-executed
live shows ever. The songs live are compelling, captivating, and carnivorous.
Yes! The songs swell up in you with a nervousness that is uncomfortably
uncomfortable. I know I said that already. You see that is the overwhelming
theme of Interpol (on record and live): tension. It is as powerful ("Untitled",
"Say Hello to the Angels"), and at times more powerful (such as "Roland"
and "Obstacle 1", I thought my head would burst) than the recorded material.
Unfortunately (at least to me) the worst song was "PDA" which they played
like it was purely obligatory. One new song was offered (unless they did
another one in the encore), and it was a hot track! Really f-ing good.
I can't wait for a new record.
The
stage presence isn't anything, well, anything other than the amazingly
cool (reminded me of bands like The Cure or The Church)! Overall, I would
say the band looked quite snappy. Suits on a few, ties were requisite.
But very un-Hives like. When is GQ going to treat Interpol to a photo spread?
That is the burning question. The bass player's pansy-80s-flip-hairdo has
to be mentioned, very cool. He is a joy to watch as he leans over so far
his bass is at his knees, and then he rises slowly to hammer out those
splendid bass lines. The lead guitarist, jamming a sunburst Rickenbacker
that makes me swoon, stands mostly still while swinging his head from side-to-side
semi-spastically, or he does that tense-because-I'm-playing-angular-rhythms-on-my-guitar
(my guitar tensely weeps). The lead singer is immobile save for screwing
around with a guitar effect (or lighting a ciggie). I couldn't really see
the keyboardist, but glimpses I caught were vintage 1980s Cure or something
equally dark and brooding. The drummer was not visible to me at all. No
banter from the singer. No extracurricular noise. No nothing. Just the
songs and the band looking absolutely bitching.
For
upcoming Interpol dates, go to http://www.interpolny.com/
