I had a lot of fun at the Interpol concert last night at University of Miami's BankUnited! My friend and I obtained some good seats on the left side of the arena, very close to the stage.
Let me just start up by saying that Interpol’s opening band, Liars, was well uh… piercing. Their music was like a nuclear bomb of over processed percussion and a level of experimentalism that was absolutely exhausting. So repetitive, so restless and unsatisfying that probably a group of high school kids could have created music like this, or maybe better.
For an Indie rock band, if you have excellent instrumentation and lyrics, a perfect voice is not a requirement for a song to be wonderfully pleasing (look at fantastic Indie rock bands like The Rapture or Good Shoes for example). But Liars music, lyrics and voice delivery were average.
Me, my friend, as well as the couple next to us (and possibly most of the crowd), were anxiously waiting for the band to end. Now, let’s move onto better things...
Awesome show by Interpol! After only a few minutes, I realized that this wonderful NYC band really know how to put on a great show. The stage was set with a purple background combined with a great flow of multi-colored lights. I always thought that their signature suits and tie wardrobe would perhaps make the show too tense or formal, but I was actually surprised. It was a relaxing/fun concert, with a music that absorbed me in a very comforting way.
From what I remember, their opening song was “C’mere”: the perfect opening track for an Interpol show. Other highlights included “Rest My Chemistry” (their new album single), “Evil” and “Slow Hands”. They even played “Obstacle 1” as one of the encores: my favorite Interpol song.
Probably the coolest song though, was “PDA”, which it stopped for a few minutes exactly at the best part of the song. Right when the song continued, the band played their ass off.
The band played some songs from their new album, which received a good reaction from the crowd. However, every time they started playing one of their hits, the crowd reacted like they’ve been starving for music food for months. The guitars were playful, the drumming was powerful, the bass was excellent, the keyboarding added an exquisite taste and the vocals well… fantastic as always.
Let's just say I was very happy to have seen them live… it was long overdue!
Photo Credit: V~in Miami (Flickr.com)
