Where better than New York to reinvent the music industry? Producing such hot acts as the Strokes and Interpol, the NYC music scene has helped to breathe new life into the pop-punk sound that has dominated rock in the 21st century. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are another Big Apple band that shares the fashion-conscious, ‘I’m-so-hip’ attitude and post-punk sound that characterizes this new wave of bands.
The seeming artifice of the group can be a bit off-putting at first with lead singer Karen O’s trendy ’80s-inspired get-ups and their artsy psychedelic rock sound. But once you get to their show, it’s clear that the trio can fucking rock out like no other. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs local stop at the Phoenix this past weekend lasted only an hour and fifteen minutes. But in that short time, they created some serious magic and made a strong case for the future of post-punk.
The band owes much to Karen O and her amazing presence (in the past year, the punky frontwoman has spawned legions of imitators of her slapdash rock’n’roll style). Indeed, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase faithfully failed to command attention. Although the Phoenix’s stage is reminiscent of those in old high school gyms, Karen O worked it to full potential with her characteristic energy and good humour. Between spinning around, smearing cake all over her face, putting a lit microphone in her mouth and hiding behind the stage curtains, her psychotic tendencies kept the audience rapt and screaming, causing the songstress to seem almost overwhelmed at times.
Her voice, which ranges from a deep growl to a sweet purr to full-out screaming, keeps the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from sounding like a one-song band and makes them fun to listen to, but not in a ridiculous way like Brit rock revivalists The Darkness. It’s more the kind of good time that comes from being able to let loose and revel in that oddball side of yourself that somehow becomes cool on the indie scene.
The show featured songs from their 2003 album Fever to Tell, as well as their latest single “Machine”, and their self-titled EP. Songs from the album got the most attention, with faster, punkier tunes alternating with slower, moodier fare. The band worked the crowd into a frenzy on songs like “Tick” and “Rich”, and slowed things down with numbers like “Modern Romance”.
The most stunning transition was from “Maps” to “Date With The Night”. The former was performed with such vulnerability that it was easy to almost forget that this was the same person who was swearing, spitting and swaggering just two minutes earlier. While Karen O cradled her microphone between her palms, a quiet yet powerful intensity suddenly descended upon the club. As the last notes trailed off, though, the band suddenly exploded into “Date With The Night”. The jarring change didn’t seem to faze anyone but rather served to whip up the crowd even more.
The end of the set came all too soon and without even a note of fan favourite “Y Control”, which was a bit of a downer. However, after such an honest performance, there was little reason for complaint. Fashionable they may be, but needlessly flashy they aren’t. When a band can rock out with such earnestness, you know they’re for real.
