Since their debut album in 2006, Arctic Monkeys have been
taking the music scene and world by storm. On their tour supporting their
newest album ‘AM’ they made a stop in Chicago at the Riviera Theatre. The show
had been sold out for weeks but by chance the concert gods smiled upon me and a
friend had an extra ticket and I got the chance to see this great show.
The opening band was a local Chicagoan group called Twin
Peaks. Their sound was very garage rock but the highlight of their set was
definitely their stage presence. Every member of the band was a joy to watch
and when you can tell the musicians enjoy the music they’re playing it gets the
crowd into it as well. Twin Peaks also did a quick cover of the They Might Be
Giants tune Boss of Me, best known as
the theme song to the sitcom Malcolm In The Middle that was easily recognized
by most of the crowd. I have high hopes for their future because they
definitely have potential.
Now on to the main course. The crowd was getting anxious as
soon as the smoke machine started and the setlists were taped down. Once the
lights went down the entire venue was a madhouse. As per usual on this tour,
Arctic Monkeys opened with Do I Wanna
Know? the opening track of ‘AM.’ The crowd was rowdy and pushy which
unfortunately made it a less than desirable place to be for a girl of my size. After
the first few songs I was able to move to the sides and had a much better view
and a much more enjoyable atmosphere. As much as I appreciate an excited crowd,
when I can’t even breathe or see the band when only 5 or so rows back, that’s
too much for me. After I was able to relax and enjoy the show though one of the
first things I noticed was Matt Helder’s drumming. It is definitely key to the
Arctic Monkeys’ sound and it’s even more powerful live. Along with that
Turner’s voice carries over well from studio tracks into a live setting. Whenever
seeing an act live for the first time, I’m nervous for how their sound carries
over into a venue setting and I had no worries after the first 30 seconds they
started playing.
The setlist was heavy on songs from ‘AM’ seeing as that is
the album they were supporting which was more than okay with me. They
definitely played a good mix of older songs too though from their previous
albums including several from their album ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ such as the
hit Fluorescent Adolescent, and Old Yellow Bricks. During Old Yellow Bricks and the song Arabella Turner went sans-guitar and
broke out his dance moves that were very drunk uncle-esque. Often these days
people say Alex Turner’s ego has gone a little out of control but he has such a
great stage presence and you can tell he is a true performer at heart. Personally,
I feel it’s just finally his confidence flourishing from the shy young lad he
used to be. A few times throughout the set he even broke out his comb to fix
his perfect quiff only to hear several screams of admiration from the ladies in
the crowd. Before playing I Bet You Look
Good On The Dancefloor Turner did his now signature move of saying “Now
this one is for the ladies… I said, LADIES!” Which I would say at this point in
the set it would be a good pick-me-up but the energy level had not gone down
all show. This crowd was ridiculous for a Monday night and I’m sure I wasn’t
the only one who worked earlier that day. I was quite shocked at how there was
not a dull moment the whole show, not even during the slower songs.
Arctic Monkeys closed out their set with Knee Socks, my personal favorite from
‘AM.” They of course weren’t done yet. For their encore they played One For The Road, another from ‘AM’ and Do Me a Favour from ‘Favourite Worst
Nightmare.’ I already had an idea of the final encore song yet Alex still toyed
with the audience jokingly saying “I wanna be yours” the name of the final track
of their newest album. He then added that he was already ours, but the real
question is R U Mine? And to that
they started into that track to finish off the night on the perfect note.
I am so glad I got the chance to go to this concert. The
only gripe I really had was the crowd but that just may be my own personal
tastes of how I like to act at a concert. I’m more of the dancing type not so
much pushing and being sandwiched between two large sweaty strangers so hard
that my feet aren’t even touching the ground for the whole hour and a half.
Arctic Monkeys have a big future ahead of them.
I’m very lucky for being able to see them at a smaller scale venue
because sooner rather than later they are going to be doing straight arena
tours at the rate their fanbase is growing.
Photograph taken by my friend Joanna who so graciously let me come with her to the show.
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