Yeah Yeah Yeahs-11/10/03 Atlanta, GA at the Echo LoungeNov 11 '03 (Updated Mar 18 '09) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Ruled Atlanta with a Fury & Intensity that We've Been Waiting For and F*ck You to Those from North Carolina Who Dissed Our City! November 10, 2003 at the Echo Lounge in East Atlanta, this is something I never thought would happen but Yes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came to this city. And to think, I thought I would have to wait for them to come for another year or to see them in their native New York City. The end result was one hell of a show that lived up to the freewheeling spirit that many critics have been talking about and I would love to see them again. For a show that cost $12 plus an additional $5 in parking and $2 in pins, man it was a great Atlanta where myself and the “cool” people of Atlanta came to see the coolest band of NYC. The doors opened at the intimate, dingy Echo Lounge, which is basically a club with a lounge in the side and seats to chill out to. Plus, before the first of two opening acts played, there was an excellent DJ set in between the shows. Two guys known as DJ Kiss brought in loads of stuff to play ranging from funk, jazz, reggae, punk music from the Clash and the Stiff Little Kittens (don’t every say “Is this Green Day?”) along with some cool-*ss 80s pop and funk ranging from Lionel Richie, Mary Jane Girls, and everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure song of the 80s, Eddie Murphy with Rick James with Party All The Time (You all like that song, admit it). I spent the first whole hour just chilling with the crowd and one of them for some reason recognized me as my own moniker, thevoid99 of course, and it was a little strange at first but it was nice meeting a fan. Plus, I talked to the DJs and they were very cool and I saw YYYs drummer Nick Chase walking to the crowd backstage, unrecognizable and I yelled his name but I don’t think he heard me. I think also saw people that I think were guitarist Brian Zinner and the woman everyone came to see, Karen O. If it really was them, no wonder some people didn’t recognize them but that’s cool because in truth, they’re just like us. It’s on stage when they become godlike of sorts. By 9 PM, the first act played was a demented, Syd Barrett-look-a-like guy called Entrance. The music is well, to describe say the least, Syd Barrett meets the blues and Howlin’ Wolf. Though the set was 6-7 songs, it was inspiring and down right fun as Entrance just howled his way through the crowd to the delight of almost the entire audience while a few of those just didn’t get like the howling. I liked Entrance’s performance, I didn’t know what the songs were but man, and he just played a guitar by himself while stomping on a tambourine. I yelled, “Play the blues” after the first song and he did. I later met the guy, whose real name was Guy, and he was a real cool, laid-back guy who likes Elvis Costello as I played Oliver’s Army on the jukebox along with Blondie’s Heart Of Glass and Tom Waits’ Downtown Train (Way better than Rod Stewart’s version). After Entrance, came another set that included some funk, jazz and the famous Afrikka Bambatta/John Lydon track World Domination that got a real cheer from the crowd just before the second act played. At 10 pm, the Tall Boys (two guys and two women) played 6-7 songs in their hardcore punk rage. I liked it although on some spots, it was a little disjointed but the crowd though enjoyed it. Plus, it’s good punk rock anyways, not the same sh*t kids listen to these days like Good Charlotte and the Ataris. I didn’t see the whole gig since I was spending my time at the lounge talking to Entrance and a few other people as many were talking about the Strokes show the night before in Atlanta which got rave reviews here (F*ck all of you who diss the Strokes). After the Tall Boys, another DJ set that included the 80s set as the hundreds of people finally came just to see the YYYs. Finally at around 11 pm, they have arrived. Brian in his usual black t-shirt and jeans, Nick in a brown shirt and black jeans, and Karen O in her Christian Joy-designed white dress and stuff as we’re all ready to rock. Throughout the whole show, I had to do the pogo, being a small guy, throughout the whole show as the band opened with a song from their self-titled EP entitled Miles Away as Nick Zinner warbles through his guitar as Karen O sings the song’s opening verse and then, when the song gets rocking, it’s all business as everyone bops their heads and everything while a few people danced despite being very crowded. After that came one song I never heard of. Was it a B-side or a new song? I don’t know. It rocked though as Karen just warbles throughout the stage like a Banshee as she keeps saying “down” throughout the whole song. The next was I think a new song that was entitled Down Boy from the paper-plate set list I saw which was rocking and more lo-fi driven from their first EP. O’s vocals were a little hoarse throughout the more rocking tunes but then again, she probably has always sounded hoarse live as opposed to the stuff you hear on the recordings, still the energy of her stage performance couldn’t be denied. Next, we go to Man as I’m standing near the lounge with some young ladies as we’re dancing through the song and banging our head as Karen O just got the crowd pumping as Brian just wails on the guitar with Nick hitting those beats relentlessly. Then came a real crowd favorite, Pin as Brian plays those opening, spiraling riffs as everyone sang the lyrics to that song including myself and banged their heads during the chorus as Karen just keeps running on the stage throughout. Then came another song I never heard entitled Kiss Kiss which was complex and rocking at the same time as the song was fast but with a different energy than most of their songs. After that was Rich that also got a great reception as myself and a few other people did the pogo since there were more tall people than short as we all sang the lyrics to that as the show was already rocking. Throughout between a few songs, Karen talked and gave praises to Atlanta while giving shout-outs to Entrance and the Tall Boys. Then came another song from the first EP Art Star as myself and a woman just danced like funky through the song’s funk-rock structure as it starts out funky but when it starts rocking when Karen growls “Art star” is when we just went bananas. Then came another track from the Machine EP entitled Graveyard that got a great reception as it got some people bopping their heads fast and doing the pogo (which was very popular here that night). Then came another cool song from the Fever to Tell album, Y Control which got a great reception as Karen sang her heart out through her Chrissie Hynde/PJ Harvey vocal style as it was a favorite with everyone as me and that same woman just danced through that song in the lounge. Then came the song I wanted to hear, Black Tongue as Nick just pummels on that guitar with Karen O just being her cool self as she keeps on holding that mic and just sang and moan through that song with people singing to the song’s sexy, twisted lyrics including the chorus of “Boy, you’re just a stupid b*tch and girl, you’re just a no good d*ck”. Then everything quiets down for another favorite and current single, Maps which got everyone into a trance as we’re all seduced by Karen’s vocals through that song as she sang, “Wait, they don’t love you like I love you/(repeat line)/Maps, maps, maps, maps/Wait, they don’t love you like I love you” as Zinner plays that warbling guitar and Brian Chase just hits those cymbals. Then came another favorite, the rocking Date With The Night as everyone just sang those lyrics, bop their heads and doing the pogo as we all sang the lyrics to that song which was very popular here as Karen sang through her growling, hoarse vocals especially when I screamed the word “Chow” with her as she repeated that word and screamed. Man, she’s even more ferocious live. Next came another song I didn’t know but I think it was a cover of a Liars song since it sounded like something they never did. If you know who the Liars are, great, if you don’t, you should explore the NYC underground a bit more and if you’re from NYC and you don’t know who they are, you’re a f*cking loser. After the Liars song, came the lovely Modern Romance as the band decides to call it a night as they leave everyone in a trance as she sings, “Time is golden” as everyone just goes into a nice mood as the band calls it a day but we were all yelling “Encore” already and after ten-fifteen minutes, they came back for the encore. First, the band played the dark, secret track of Poor Song as they quieted everyone down and just got everyone to be cool. Then, they rocked again for another track from the first EP, Bang as Nick hits those funk-drenched riffs while Karen O just jumped and ran around the stage as I kept on doing the pogo through the crowded audience. After the song, Karen says some cool things in Atlanta but she said she heard some sh*t about us from people in North Carolina and we all wanted to hear it. We all screamed for it as she went to final song of the night, the anti-anthem Our Time as some of the audience knew the song, including the line “It’s the year to be hated” as I went on with the pogo throughout that whole song for the chorus as the YYYs ended their first show in Atlanta, with a bang. For those of you who love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs should go out and see them. It won’t cost much since they’re still an underground entity and it’s worth the full price. While the show was great, I do have to agree with the woman I was dancing with since there weren’t a lot of people dancing, especially in the front. She suggested that the ones who were dancing should be in the front and she’s right though. Still, the whole vibe was cool as the opening acts did a fine job while the DJ sets were amazing and of course, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs kicked everyone in the *ss and showed why they’re one of the coolest bands in NYC. Karen, Brian, and Nick, you can play Atlanta anytime here, you’re always welcome. DJ Kiss Overall Set: 4.5 out of 5 Entrance: 4 out of 5 The Tall Boys: 3.5 out of 5 Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 5 out of 5 YYYs Set List 11/10/03: Miles Away/(Unknown Song)/Down Boy (New Song)/Man/Pin/Kiss Kiss/Rich/Art Star/Graveyard/Y Control/Black Tongue/Maps/Date With The Night/(Liars Cover)/Modern Romance Encore: Poor Song/Bang/Our Time YYYs Reviews: Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP - Machine - Fever to Tell - Maps - (Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow DVD) - Gold Lion - Show Your Bones - Is Is EP - It's Blitz! - Atlanta, GA-Tabernacle 10/14/06  |
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