I'm Subtle Like a Lion's Cage

2004 is definitely the year of the concert. After starting of the year with a bang, seeing Radiohead at Coachella and Incubus at the Great Western Forum, I thought it was over. Lucky for me, and hundreds of other Los Angeles citizens, Interpol would have none of it.

I missed their show at the Curiosa festival a few months ago, but when I heard they'd be playing in promotion of their new album, Antics, I snatched up tickets as soon as they went on sale. Thank goodness too, because it actually sold out pretty quickly, which is remarkable considering they don't have throngs of fifteen year-olds screaming at their tour bus. To tell the truth, that was a highlight of the show in general. I don't think I've ever been at a concert in a long time where a large portion of the crowd was around my age, a very welcome change. How was the overall show, one might ask? Let's find out.

Opening acts, On! Air! Library! and The Secret Machines put on a decent opening effort. Having missed half of On! Air! Library!'s set, what I saw was rather good. Their sound was hard to pin down, but it seemed to have a Pixies sort of vibe to it. Many in the crowd were wondering who they were afterwards, and with good reason, I'll definitely check out their album. If I can find it at least. The Secret Machines did quite well also, but their set was a little more atmospheric than I usually like to see. They filled the occasional dead-space with some pretty loud portions, which really blew most of the crowd away, but I would have enjoyed some more up-beat music. Their album's pretty good to listen to at work, they have definite up-and-coming potential, so it'll be interesting to see how they progress.

Headliners are called that for a reason, and it's hard to believe that Interpol was anything but that at any point in their short existence, but their show was textbook awesome. The band itself played a tight set, with just the right amount of songs, and two encores. I saw them perform on Late Night with Conan O'Brien a couple of weeks ago, and I don't know if the equipment or acoustics were off, but they didn't come off too great on the show, which really dampened my hopes. When it came around to it, this show obliterated that memory, and they were just as good live as I'd hoped. From the opening number to their last, they played this show for the fans. They played a loud, visceral set that was almost unexpected. Really though, it gave me the impression that they'll be playing these shows only to larger audiences in the future, which is always a shame for those of us who like the more intimate venues, but great for them. I left the show last night though with a great memory of them playing at one of the best venues in Los Angeles, and will always look forward to what they have to put out next.