Inner Wave
Los Angeles-based Inner Wave were the first to take the stage this Monday night. I was actually happy to hear that they’d be the opening act for this show. Last year I saw them open for Foals and they really impressed me. All the band members came out looking real dapper and nonchalant. Somehow I feel like those two words describe their music too; they’re just so effortlessly cool and vibey.
I really appreciated the keyboardist and the atmosphere he added to their music. What would’ve been traditional indie-rock ascended to space with his ambience. A highlight was their song “Eclipse,” which featured this sick synth line that blended in seamlessly with the vocal melody. You couldn’t tell where the singer’s voice began and where the synth ended; I love hearing effects like that in songs and pulling it off live is amazing.
They were well received by the crowd and amped up everyone’s excitement for the main act. I’m looking forward to seeing them again sometime soon!
Interpol
I’ll be honest: I’ve never listened to Interpol’s legendary first two albums from start to finish before. I know, blasphemous. I knew their hits and listened to their Essentials playlist a few times in preparation for the show. Thankfully, the friends I attended with are pretty big fans so I was able to leech off their enthusiasm. All that being said, I can definitely say that I’ve been sleeping on their work for far too long.
Their set was a perfectly curated selection of tracks from all throughout their discography, showcasing every corner of their post-punk and indie-rock roots. I was surprised when they played one of their biggest hits, “Obstacle 1,” right off the bat in their set. I’m most familiar with that song in their discography, so I was grateful that it was played so early – it dragged me right in. The fans were singing along passionately, creating an almost surreal connection between the band and their dedicated audience.
“Roland” was an absolute menace to my eardrums in the best way possible. That song explodes into a wall of noise in the second half that I get completely lost in. The crowd lapped up “Evil”, one of the most popular cuts off of their second album, “Antics.” Hearing the audience yell the opening line to that song all in unison put a huge smile on my face. This was also the first moment in the set where I actually saw people bouncing up and down to the music and getting a little rowdy; the crowd were all on the same page from this point on.
While pretty minimalistic, the lighting for this show was on point. It really hit me during “Pioneer to the Falls,” where the mirrorball was used for the first time. This was the most emotional and ethereal moment of the show for me. I can definitely see myself returning to this track very often and associating it with this amazing moment.
As we neared the end of the main set, “The New” was another standout. This song featured the best climax of anything else I’d heard this entire night. It was almost reminiscent of some of my favourite shoegaze tracks. I was fully enveloped by its ambience.
After an earthquake-like encore chant from the audience, Interpol took the stage once again to end the night on three more of their classic tunes. They started the encore with “Untitled,” the first track off of their first album. This was the perfect way to get the crowd in their feels once more before ending off with a bang. “Slow Hands” was played last and got everyone in the room on their feet and singing out their lungs from the first note. I wasn’t too familiar with this song before but after hearing all the fans’ voices joined together and singing it back, I understood its placement on the setlist.
Overall, this was a night for the books. With a setlist that seamlessly blended their classic hits with newer material and a captivating stage presence, the band demonstrated why they’re solidified as indie rock legends. I’m fully sold on their music now and will absolutely be exploring it more in the coming weeks.
SETLIST:
- Toni
- Obstacle 1
- If You Really Love Nothing
- Roland
- Into the Night
- Take You on a Cruise
- Fables
- Evil
- Pioneer to the Falls
- My Desire
- Not Even Jail
- NYC
- No I in Threesome
- The Rover
- The New
- PDA
Encore: - Untitled
- C’mere
- Slow Hands
Review – Michael Anestopoulos
Photos – Dominic Blewett
