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Interpol Rocks the Marquee

Interpol at the Marquee. Photo courtesy Kevin Yeanoplos.
Interpol at the Marquee. Photo courtesy Kevin Yeanoplos.

“Success”: The opening number also provided the best description of Interpol’s show Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe.

Swarms of wanna-be-young-agains wearing fedoras and flat caps to cover bald spots gathered to see this New York City indie rock band on their North American tour.

Age definitely didn't hold the audience's energy back when the show began —  partly because the dreadful first band, School of Seven Bells, had finished a set of overly simplistic, transient melodies with hollow conclusions. Whoops and hollers filled the air as Interpol delved into its set.

Songs like “Barricade” and “Rest My Chemistry” were played with solid mechanics by the impressive drummer, Sam Fogarino, and had everyone in the venue stomping his or her feet to the solid beat. Even the guy next to me was playing full-out air drums, though that could have been effects of the alcohol.

Interpol played a well-balanced set including hits from the band's past three studio albums and songs from the new self-titled album released last September.

The new addition of keyboarder Brandon Curtis and bassist David Pajo helped recapture the epic, romantic post-punk sound after the long overdue exit of bassist Carlos Dengler. They stepped it up to bring that big, confident sound back to the group.

Interpol proved why this was a sold-out show with an upright, no-bullshit performance that sounded exactly like the studio recordings.

Guitarist Daniel Kessler and his identifiable, catchy leads had the listeners in an uproar before the songs were even underway. Not to mention singer and guitarist Paul Banks, who haunted the audience with his eerie, smooth, seductive vocals on obvious crowd favorites such as “The Heinrich Maneuver” and “Evil.”

The encore set was slightly redundant, but “Slow Hands” saved the day and brought a happy ending to this rock-'n'-roll lover’s fairytale.

Despite the push and pull of the band’s drama, this show was proof that Interpol should not be going anywhere.

Reach the reporter at ahavir@asu.edu


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