After finishing up support for their second release, Antics, early in the spring of 2005, Interpol seemed poised to take the next step up in their career. A pair of sold out nights at Radio City Music Hall marked a new level of accomplishment for the NYC band. At the time, it appeared to me that if on their next time around, Interpol could land an opening slot on an arena tour with an act like Pearl Jam, just as an example, they would heed the call - undoubtedly establishing themselves in the next plateau of artists, a level marked by content and durability personified.
But then something strange happened. Interpol quietly slipped away from the foreground for two and a half years, which is an odd occurrence in this day and age. And now - after their amazing performance at Madison Square Garden on Friday night - it appears in retrospect that I was selling the band short in 2005, as Interpol took command of the Garden without requiring any assistance from anyone, to the delight of thousands of frenzied fans, giving a performance that is easily a contender for show of the year.
So let’s break it down: Bassist Carlos Dengler and drummer Sam Fogarino reinforce every hook that guitarists Paul Banks and Daniel Kessler can throw at them, giving Interpol the advantage when it comes to dynamic interplay. On tracks like “Obstacle 1,” both Fogarino and Dengler move the verses along with hints of jazz before hooking up with Kessler and Banks to ram the chorus home with authority. The combined elements of musicianship and melody are the backbone - and even more so, the backbeat - of Interpol.
The band’s live show is notable not only for its intensity, but also for the care put into how it is delivered. Interpol is a band that you want to see onstage at the Garden, as the clock is almost ready to strike twelve, on New Year’s Eve. That’s how accessible, prepared, and ready the band really is. The crowd moved along with the energy and wouldn’t leave until the houselights were pulled on them, but this only after Interpol was called back again for an astonishing second encore. The energy on Friday night was unbeatable, and the show was example of how Interpol is a band that is confident, and ready to call the shots – anytime, anyplace.
But then something strange happened. Interpol quietly slipped away from the foreground for two and a half years, which is an odd occurrence in this day and age. And now - after their amazing performance at Madison Square Garden on Friday night - it appears in retrospect that I was selling the band short in 2005, as Interpol took command of the Garden without requiring any assistance from anyone, to the delight of thousands of frenzied fans, giving a performance that is easily a contender for show of the year.
So let’s break it down: Bassist Carlos Dengler and drummer Sam Fogarino reinforce every hook that guitarists Paul Banks and Daniel Kessler can throw at them, giving Interpol the advantage when it comes to dynamic interplay. On tracks like “Obstacle 1,” both Fogarino and Dengler move the verses along with hints of jazz before hooking up with Kessler and Banks to ram the chorus home with authority. The combined elements of musicianship and melody are the backbone - and even more so, the backbeat - of Interpol.
The band’s live show is notable not only for its intensity, but also for the care put into how it is delivered. Interpol is a band that you want to see onstage at the Garden, as the clock is almost ready to strike twelve, on New Year’s Eve. That’s how accessible, prepared, and ready the band really is. The crowd moved along with the energy and wouldn’t leave until the houselights were pulled on them, but this only after Interpol was called back again for an astonishing second encore. The energy on Friday night was unbeatable, and the show was example of how Interpol is a band that is confident, and ready to call the shots – anytime, anyplace.
