Content Was Always My Favorite Color

The Strokes played last night at the Plaza Of Nations.

The Most Serene Republic opened the show. They're getting some pretty good exposure on this tour, playing at larger venues around the country. I must say their sound differs quite a bit from the headliners. I previously saw these guys open for both Metric and Broken Social Scene and am pleased with the evolvement of their performance. I think Proposition '61 sounds awesome live, especially with the extended outro.

The Strokes came on stage and started with a strong performance of Ize Of The World. They played a rockin' and upbeat set that included tracks from their three releases. Julian was sporting his usual t-shirt and leather jacket ensemble. There wasn't much banter between songs, except for the common "You guys are the best crowd" line.

It was neat watching Albert and Nick trade lead guitar parts between different songs. What I'd wish to see from them is to add something new to their songs for live shows since they sound pretty much note for note from the album.

During the 1hr 25min set, they played a sweet version of b-side Hawaii and also covered Lou Reed's Walk On The Wild Side. Ask Me Anything was done with Julian on vocals and Nick on piano. Highlights for me included Juicebox, Hard To Explain, Barely Legal, and Reptilia to close off the main set.

I'm glad they actually played more than an hour this time, plus had an encore. They opened the encore with New York City Cops. During I Can't Win, Albert's guitar was cranked really loud. My ears are still hurting from that. They finished the show with Heart In A Cage, followed by Take It Or Leave It.

A note to the people at the Plaza Of Nations: if you have signs posted saying "Exit", actually allow people to exit there. It's kinda horrific and also a safety concern when a few thousand people are only allowed to exit through one spot.

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Picked up my camera today.....Yay! it's working again.