Ice Cream Man

Interpol wrapped up their US tour with a benefit concert at New York’s Terminal 5, accompanied by fellow local indie rockers Blonde Redhead. The event raised money for Sickday Safety Net, a non-profit organization that provides medical house calls for New York’s uninsured creative community. The venue was filled with several thousand fans that came out on a Sunday night and both bands took time to address the audience and thank them for their support.

Each group could easily draw a large crowd, so having both bands share the bill made for a special night. It was my first time seeing Interpol live, but I was fortunate enough to have seen Blonde Redhead several times in 2007, once when they played the Williamsburg Pool Party (when it was still being held at the McCarren pool), and the other time with LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire. I can easily say that Blonde Redhead was as good as the last two times I’ve seen them.

Blonde Redhead opened up the night with the song “Black Guitar” and captivated the audience with a forty-five minute set heavy with tracks from their 2010 release Penny Sparkle, including the single “Not Getting There.” The stage was dimly lit with old Edison style light bulbs, and lead singer Kazu Makino’s eerie vocals were hauntingly beautiful, accompanied by twin brothers Amedeo Pace on guitar and Simone Pace on drums. The band did throw in some classic anthems from 2007’s 23, including “Spring and by Summer Fall,” with its punchy guitar riff, and heavy drums.

By the time Interpol took the stage, it felt as if I had already seen a full concert. Then the band played for a lengthy one and a half hours straight, with four encore songs. They opened up with “Success” from their most recent 2010 self-titled album Interpol, finished with “Not Even Jail” from 2004’s Antics, and played seventeen songs in between! Highlights from the night included the tracks “Rest My Chemistry,” from 2007’s Our Love To Admire, and of course “Obstacle 1” from 2002’s Turn on the Bright Lights,” the song that got me to love Interpol in the first place. Paul Banks’ vocals and Daniel Kessler’s guitar were a perfect combination.

-JWB

Blonde Redhead set list:
Black Guitar
Here Sometimes
Dr. Strangeluv
Spring and by Summer Fall
Oslo
Spain
Will There Be Stars
Not Getting There
23

Interpol set list:
Success
Say Hello to the Angels
C’mere
Hands Away
Mammoth
Rest My Chemistry
Evil
The New
Narc
Lights
Summer Well
Leif Erikson
The Heinrich Maneuver
Memory Serves
Slow Hands

Encore:
The Lighthouse
Specialist
Obstacle 1
Not Even Jail