56 of 131 DOCUMENTS
The Kansas City Star
March 16, 2006 Thursday
Concert review:
BYLINE: McCLAIN JOHNSON, TeenStar
LENGTH: 329 words
The Strokes took to the stage at the Uptown Friday night and delivered an hour and fifteen minutes of pure rock and roll.
An early highlight was a riotous version of "Juicebox." The songs differed in no way from their album versions and it would have been nice to see a little change.
However, The Strokes have an extremely well polished show (right down to the perfectly placed lighting cues). They have one of the best light shows in rock.
The Strokes' songs performed live are filled with an urgency that is not found on their albums. They tore through one hit after another. "The End Has No End" was a definite highlight, with Fabrizio Moretti's percussive drumming propelling the song along. Unlike on their studio releases (where singer Julian Casablancas' vocals are often low in the mix), the vocals were much improved live but still had his signature raw sound.
The Strokes know how to rock out while dialing it back just enough to make sure everything is still under control. Every song was played expertly, but the older material was some of the night's most explosive songs. "The Modern Age" and "Barely Legal" were both played with passion and intensity. "Someday" got one of the biggest crowd reactions of the night.
"Last Nite" was a major sing-along moment for the sold-out crowd. "Alone, Together" also really got everyone moving. The only misstep of the night was the bizarre electronica-tinged ballad "Ask Me Anything." It took away a little bit of the momentum from a show that was otherwise relentless.
The Strokes ended their set with "Reptilla." They came back out for a three-song encore. The first track was the B-side "New York City Cops" (complete with red, white and blue flashing lights). They followed with "I Can't Win" and finished the show with a manic, awesome version of "Take It or Leave It." This show proved that The Strokes are one of the best bands in rock today.
To reach McClain Johnson, a senior at Pembroke Hill, e-mail teenstar@kcstar.com .
LOAD-DATE: March 16, 2006
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper
Copyright 2006 The Kansas City Star
All Rights Reserved
