As began strumming the first lonely chords to “NYC” on Wednesday night, the entire audience in took a satisfied deep breath.
“Itap good to be home,” lead singer Paul Banks told the New York City crowd. “Last one best one.”
Banks and the entire hometown crowd crooned the lyrics, “New York Cares,” and you got the feeling that the city did indeed care. Now more than a decade old, the song off the band’s debut album “Turn on the Bright Lights,” never feels more relavent than when it’s played in its namesake.
The crowd on Wednesday was as diverse as the streets of the city. To the left, Russians debated which song would play next, to the right was a 12-year-old boy and his mom. Couples sang along together and baby boomer rockers in leather jackets bobbed their heads. And the band, dressed in black suits with dazzling lights surrounding the stage, were confident and never arrogant.
Throughout the night, Interpol mixed these old favorites with tracks off their latest release, “El Pintor.” Things began with “Say Hello to Angels” followed by “My Blue Supreme” off the new album. The bass line glided through the syncopated drums in “Rest My Chemistry” but often the signature sour vocals would drift in and out of clarity. The sight lines at Terminal 5 are notoriously terrible, it was a good thing the light show could translate the environment of those unable to see the stage.
As always, Interpol displayed a stunning devotion to the recorded product, never letting its post-punk leanings get overcrowded by the tyrannical of sub-genres. They have the ability to transport more than a decade of work effortlessly, maintaining a classic energy throughout the entire performance. Their setlists during the previous two nights weren’t incredibly varied, but itap more about the quality of the sound with Interpol than how unique each performance is.
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Bailey Constas is a New York City-based writer and new contributor to Reverb. Follow her on Twitter @BaileyLiza.
