Interpol likes to keep you guessing. They don’t connect the dots for you; hell they barely let you those dots. Dark, brooding, mysterious – that’s been their stock in trade since coming out of NYC in the early 2000s and there is certainly no need to mess with that formula. (It was reassuring to see a sizeable swath of the audience who were likely born after Antics was released in 2004).
For a band whose debut record was called “Turn On The Bright Lights,” they like to keep it pretty dim when it comes to stage lighting. By the time that verse was delivered in “NYC,” the bright lights appeared, but they were back or side lighting, no spotlights for this band. When you could make out Banks in the fog-ridden darkness, he looked like Keifer Sutherland had just left shooting The Lost Boys and was on his way to film a cameo spot of Lou Reed from the Sally Can’t Dance era.
After a very successful, decades-long run with Matador, they have paired with Partisan for this year’s This Mirror Weighs A Ton, and it’s a refreshing return to the earlier era of the band, songwriting-wise. Along with songs from the new record, nothing later from El Pintor was played and stylistically was a good idea. Banks and guitarist Dan Kessler remain the core of the band, along with drummer Sam Fogarino who’s back issues have sidelined him from touring but he is still active in the studio. Walkmen drummer Matt Barrick was on duty for this tour, and the last time I saw Brad Truax was in this same building when he was part of Iggy Pop’s band.
Fan favorites like “Obstacle 1,” “Slow Hands” and “Evil” got the near-capacity crowd fired up, while “Wounded Soldier” and “See Out Loud” were some of the standouts of the new material. Despite the half-dozen songs played from the new record, I’ll have to wait until a future show for “Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down.” That’s a fair deal, and see you next time, Interpol.
Diiv was a good match for this tour. While Interpol took on the tightly managed post-punk sonics, Diiv leaned heavily into the ’90s shoegaze side of things. My Bloody Valentine is an obvious influence while the frenetic dodge and weave rhythms of “Doused” echoed early Cure. That was the sole song from their debut Oshin; the yet-to-be released record ZIRP! was featured, not only the three songs available for streaming but they also showcased “Dare Me.”
Looking like an accounting firm in Williamsburg staffed by hipsters, the band’s set up was a bit unusual, with Zachary Cole Smith flanked far stage left and bassist/vocalist Colin Caufield covered stage right, leaving the mic-less guitarist Andrew Bailey stationed dead center. Smith’s vocals were eerily reminiscent of Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard, giving a soft, comforting feel to the songs, contrasting with the surprisingly muscular guitar work.
