Leave the Joy Division comparisons at the door.
New York's reigning new wave gloom-rockers Interpol deserve their own identity, no matter how much singer Paul Banks may or may not sound like Ian Curtis.
At this point Interpol's career has lasted longer than that of Joy Division's, from whom they are constantly accused of stealing. Touring in support of their latest dark masterpiece, "Our Love To Admire," Interpol has brought their atmospheric post-punk to The Rave for the amusement of indie rockers, goths and scenesters alike. With three albums of solid songs to choose from, their shows are never a disappointment to fans no matter what the set list.
Taking the stage in their trademark black outfits, they appear as the most stylish group of funeral home employees imaginable. The guitars kicked in with no delay, as Interpol started off with their new album's epic opener "Pioneer To The Falls." Albeit a slow start, yet a great prelude for the night.
The crowd roared from the moment the band took the stage and intensity only built as the show went on. The band was tight throughout, showing more ease on-stage than previous performances. After the slow opening Interpol jumped right into previous single "Slow Hands," bringing screams from devoted fans as momentum and energy kept growing. From there on out, the crowd was theirs.
They followed with a non-stop set that relied mainly on songs from their first two albums, with five new album tracks mixed in. But the crowd had obviously done its homework, singing and moving along with all of the new songs (despite the fact that "Our Love To Admire" has only been out for two weeks).
Banks is still a sort of deer-in-headlights on-stage, hiding from the limelight where most frontmen would bask in it. He's not the outspoken type, rarely speaking to the crowd besides the random "thank you" between a few songs. In fact, the closest he came to joking with the crowd was the randomly placed decal on his guitar stating, simply, "breasts." There must be an inside joke there somewhere. Banks is essentially the "anti-frontman," with even his non-vocalist band-members upstaging him most of the show.
Lead guitarist Daniel Kessler has developed into a serious show-stopping performer, rarely taking a break from dance moves that would fill Elvis with envy. But that didn't stop him from playing every riff with effortless precision.
Bassist Carlos D is another charismatic piece of the puzzle, laying out bass-lines that truly carry the band's records. Now seen sporting a mustache that depicts him as a sort of gothic Colonel Sanders, Carlos no longer resembles Crispin Glover in Charlie's Angels. However, he still stalks the stage like a vampire (even beginning the night in a cloak similar to Dracula's), often ending songs by sticking the neck of his bass into the stage.
After an hour on stage, Interpol left the crowd dying for more. The fans continued screaming its collective throats hoarse until the band returned for its all-too-brief encore, consisting of three songs from debut album "Turn On The Bright Lights." Closing song "PDA" was a clear stand-out, with a stunning outro that borders on spiritual experience. Like many of Interpol's songs, it was no less than amazing. The show could've gone on all night, and it is doubtful anyone could've possibly left early. Eyes were glued to the stage, in awe of one of the finest bands of this generation.
One would be hard-pressed to find another new band so stylish, and yet so shy. A band so introspective, and yet so punk at its roots. A band so oft-compared to others, yet so unique. Besides, let us not forget that Joy Division will go down as one of the defining bands of its genre, and Interpol is only getting warmed up.
Set-List:
Pioneer To The Falls
Slow Hands
NARC
Obstacle 1
Rest My Chemistry
Mammoth
Say Hello To The Angels
Hands Away
Scale
The Heinrich Maneuver
Evil
Not Even Jail
Encore:
Leif Erikson
Stella Was A Diver...
PDA
