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the Music Lounge by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A & E Writer

The Strokes give rowdy Paramount Theatre crowd best show in years
by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer The Strokes with Eagles of Death Metal April 4 @ Paramount Theatre Best in show, so far in 2006? The Strokes. Hands down. At the Paramount Theatre last week for a sold out performance, the heavy-hyped rock band did everything right en route to the best show they've ever given in this music-loving city. The Strokes opened the concert with "Juice Box", a single from the quintet's newest release First Impressions of Earth, which features same-sex couples getting busy in the music video. The crowd at this particular concert was on fire from the moment The Strokes stepped foot on stage. These weren't the scenesters with their hands in their pockets, or the corporate-types that leave early to ensure adequate sleep for the next day's power meetings. Nope, these concertgoers came to party. And that they did. And it made all the difference in the world. Lead singer Julian Casablancas sounded terrific, his most impressive vocals since the early days when The Strokes were just getting noticed. He was a little fucked up, as usual, but it didn't affect his overall performance. He appeared fresh and cool throughout the five-piece unit's strong set, which included "Heart in a Cage", "The End Has No End", "On the Other Side" and an intense, remarkable version of "Reptilia". Except for a few lighting props, the stage was simple and uncluttered. Drummer Fab Morretti, guitarists Nick Valensi and Nikolai Fraiture, and bassist Albert Hammond Jr. had lots of room to roam about, but as always they stood in place most of the time and kept to themselves. I really dug Hammond's marshmallow-colored suit and matching tie. Older favorites, such as "The Modern Age", "Someday" and "Last Nite", proved to be huge crowd pleasers and got everyone moving. I snaked my way to the front of the main floor and joined a sweaty, exuberant swirl of fans in jumping up and down feverishly and singing aloud the lyrics at the top of my lungs. I hadn't enjoyed this much fun in months. I didn't care that people were using my belt loops for balance or that a spastic chick accidentally elbowed my eye. When you're truly enjoying the moment and when a rock concert is this incredible, you just go with the flow and worry about things afterwards. An interesting, weird twist to the concert was a one-song acoustic duet of Casablancas and a longhaired Valensi on the song "Ask Me Anything". It resulted in being the show's lone yawner, a tune that won't be missed if it's left off the remainder of the tour. Speaking of missed songs on the set list, "12:51" from The Strokes' sophomore effort Room on Fire was surprisingly absent at the Paramount Theatre. In fact, only a few cuts from that album were played, leaving space for plenty of material from the band's first and third offerings. A great addition to the song roster was a perfect delivery of "New York City Cops", an entry found on import copies of Is This It? Rarely played at Strokes shows, it was well received by the crazed and out of control audience, especially those in the main floor pit. The Strokes made their exit with "Alone, Together" and "Take It or Leave It", the exact 1-2 finish as their Seattle swing-through in January that was part of a five-city promotional tour to support the new CD.