Saturday, May 13, 2006

Late Strokes Review

So Bonnie and I went to the Strokes on Tuesday at the Civic Centre here in Ottawa. Most Serene Republic was the opening band; I highly recommend them if you are enthralled by recent ensemble acts like Arcade Fire or Broken Social Scene. If you feel that a trombone has no place in rock music, Most Serene Republic isn't the band for you. Their opening act was pretty good, but not so good that we were underwhelmed by The Strokes. Such is the dilemma of the opening act. I bet if you upstage the main show you're on your way out after the show. Anyhoo, The Strokes came on to polite applause and proceeded to blow everyone out of the water with sheer volume (my ears are still ringing just a tiny little bit). The songs were great, of course, but at times the volume caused the music to blend into a noise that sounded curiously like the noise caused by those homemade kazoos of wax paper and toilet paper rolls we used to make in elementary school. When I could make out the individual instruments or Julian Casablancas (attired in a not-too-subtle Ramones-esque leather jacket), the result was, as Barney would say, legendary, topped off with some pretty kickin' concert tees - Bonnie and I each picked one up and immediately put them on - just kidding!! That act was reserved for the myriad high schoolers in attendance. Overall, I give the concert four toilet paper roll kazoos out of five.

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