Interpol’s 6/5/2007 Bowery Show: Just Diggin’ It in NYC
I am a fan of the band Interpol. I have followed them for quite some time and seen many of their shows, the most recent of which was this past Tuesday at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. This picture on Flickr was taken courtesy of Crackers United, who has a post on the show as well.
My reaction to the show was somewhat different than Mr. United.
His post reflects a certain cynicism both towards the band and the
crowd, notwithstanding his statement that they played a “tight set.” My
reaction to the “private” show was quite different: it brought me back
to another great and memorable show I saw a few years back, when the
Strokes played Central Park Summerstage for the first time. In each case I took away a strong sense of something special: a couple of NYC bands playing in front of the home crowd, in a setting that was memorable for both of them. And this is what made the June 5th Interpol show special for me.
When Julian Casablancas came onstage at the Central Park show you could see his emotion. This was his first time playing Summerstage, close to where he grew up, right near his homies. Even though the Strokes had achieved significant commercial success by this point the venue and the moment was still extremely powerful for him - and it showed. And this made the show a powerful exhibition that rippled through the crowd.
Now, I’m not going to tell you that Paul Banks is as emotive as Julian Casablancas. Because he is not, and neither are his bandmates. That said, there were a few moments in the show when he and Daniel Kessler really connected. They smiled. They laughed. They were grooving on each other in the moment. Very un-Interpolesque. Which is what made it so cool. And to me it seemed that playing the Bowery, a meaningful place for the band and one of the more intimate venues on the NYC indie music circuit, made it really special. They have released two successful albums and are on the cusp of their third, which is sure to be a commercial success as well. They will soon hit the road for a long time. This is the calm before the storm, a chance for them to play the home crowd in an awesome, cozy venue, to have some fun and to feel the love. And I think they felt it. I felt it.
Sam Fogarino was, as always, right on time and banging the shit out of the drums as only he can, and Carlos was sporting a new Billy Bob Thornton look which was, shall we say, different. For me it was a great night - a night to remember. Best of luck to the Interpol boys with Our Love to Admire and a fun and successful tour. My words of advice: just keep feeling it and showing it. And keeping it real.
