So I was super lucky to get tickets to this show at the very small club Maxwell’s. This was their first show of their pre-tour trying out their new songs. Tickets were in high demand being sold for around 100 bux. The band actually bought back the tickets that were being sold on Ebay and gave the money back to the buyers.
The last time I had butterflies in my stomach before a show was when Skinny Puppy and Whitehouse played after a multi-year hiatus. I got to the venue 2 hours early to secure a spot near the front. I was not going to miss an opportunity to see a band like this again AND in such an intimate setting.
Blood on the Wall opened and I kinda dug them. A trio that has fast metal punk songs. The drummer was wearing a Napalm Death shirt so kudos to him. Yeah Yeah Yeahs took the stage and Karen O was dressed in a Flinstones type smock over a Kamp Krusty” Simpsons t-shirt. They also had Imaad Wasif play a few songs who is also in alaska!. They announced the show by stating that they were playing 90% new material which I was very excited for. Those of you complaining about not hearing your favorites should shut the fuck up. The whole purpose of this tour is to test out the new tunes which I must say are killer.
The band was great, the audio was pretty much right on, and the crowd was perfect. Karen O’s stage presence is what makes the live perfromance all the better. As the night went on she became more and more possessed by the music, throwing punches in the air, swinging her mic wildly around and taking a bite out of the mic stand. Towards the end of the show she just started pounding the walls with her hands and for gave us a treat by dedicating an acoustic version of “Maps” to all the “awesome mother fuckers here tonight in Hoboken” and the other bands members exes. For the final number she repeated “tick” for about almost 10 minutes as she walked wildly across the Maxwell’s stage. The best quote of the night was when she said that “It’s so hard being in a rock band”. I honestly don’t know how she has this much energy for every show day in and day out.
The venue was steaming. The walls were dripping wet and for such a cold night outside, I’ve never been so hot inside a club before. After the show I was in awe and looked around and saw similar reactions from the crowd. I stumbled through the streets of Hoboken walking on cloud 9. This is what it’s all about. And yea, last night may have been one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen thusfar. yup. ain’t kiddin’.
An unforgettable night.
My Pictures and Videos of the show.
other reviews:
Music Snobbery.
The Modern Age.
