The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Hometown: NYC
http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com/
Monday, April 10, 2006
The Kool Haus (Toronto, Canada)
also: The Liars
It's always equally exciting and nerve wracking to see a band I would put in my top five, especially when their popularity has sky-rocketed since they were last in town and they're all over the radio. Surely nothing could compare to their bursting energy at the small intimate club I saw them at a couple years ago, with other fans who loved their single five song EP as much as I did? Yet even playing a bigger, sold-out venue, with a bigger fan base and a killer new album with a very different style, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's charmed me as much as ever.
Touring with longtime friends The Liars, who opened with a good set, Karen, Nick, Brian and the newly added Imaad hit the stage after a bit of a wait, and kicked off with the latest single, "Gold Lion."
They hadn't changed a bit. Karen O was prancing around the stage and doing her classic foot-shuffling-leg-bending-everywhere dance that I used to imitate in the mirror (OK, OK, and maybe still do). She dominated the stage and crowd, saying halfway through the show that she was "being pretty shy" but still radiating her I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude. From the schoolgirlish "doot, doot, doot" refrain in "Art Star" to the growling scream that comes out of her in "Miles Away," it was obvious her love of what she does hasn't faded. The rest of the band has always somewhat been in her shadow, but Nick still played his role well, with a great squealing solo on "Mysteries," while Brian played nonstop and hard. The set had more downtime than in the past, since the new album has a much folkier relaxed vibe, so there was more swaying than dancing. Still, it was a good progressive route for the band to take; they managed to change their style drastically but still sound edgy and full of emotion.
Hearing the songs and watching the band and crowd, seeing kids dance like no one was watching, reminded me of the energy that seems to have slowly leaked out of the Toronto scene. The band was as humble as ever, frequently reminding us between songs, "Thanks a lot, we're the Yeah Yeah Yeahs!" as if we didn't know. Karen O, known just as well for her outrageous costumes and style as her raging voice, came out for the encore dressed in what looked like a skeleton Halloween costume. After taking off the mask, she serenaded the crowd with the YYY's self-proclaimed love song, "Maps."
One thing this show proved for sure: Once a band breaks out of the "indie" scene and really starts getting the recognition they deserve, they can still stay true to their roots.