reCAP :: The Strokes w/ Rey Pila :: 2016.05.31
This Friday, The Strokes will play the first of three nights at the Governor’s Ball–an annual festival on Randall’s Island that boasts an eclectic mix of talent ranging from Beck to Kanye West. Like all festivals, the music is paired with thousands and thousands of sweaty fans who hop from one band to the next until their favorite hits the stage. On May 31, the garage-band icons previewed their upcoming set at the much smaller Cap, and the results were more intimate, arguably more intense, and obviously more air conditioned. Playing a compact one-hour set, which opened with “The Modern Age" off their debut 2001 EP, Julian Casablancas, Albert Hammond Jr., Nick Valensi, Fabrizio Moretti, and Nickolai Fraiture breezed through deep cuts, fan favorites, and played all songs off their recently released three-song EP Future Present Past live for the very first time. The new tracks – “Threat of Joy,” “Oblivious,” and “Drag Queen” - fit right into their eclectic set. As a matter of fact, the band seemed to be having the most fun when playing them. On “Threat,” in particular, frontman Julian Casablancas poked fun at himself for trying to land the high notes, which he admitted needed some “practice.” The audience didn’t feel that way, and feasted on the new and old stuff.
But, as is the case with most performances, fandom levels hit fever pitches during familiar tracks. “What Ever Happened?” got the fans in a frenzy early - one person actually crowd surfed - and the performance of “Electricityscape,” a song rarely played since it debuted on 2006 classic First Impressions of Earth, also resonated. Other standouts included smash “Someday” and a literal showstopping, foot-stomping finisher of “Reptilia," which saw some audience members engaging in some of the most aggressive air guitar playing I've ever witnessed. Would it have been nice if the band played more songs? Of course, but they killed it for an hour and honestly where else but The Cap are you going to see a band that sells out stadiums playing an intimate theatre in Westchester County? Let’s not get greedy. If this gig was any indication on how the Governor’s Ball performance is going to be Friday perhaps it’s worth bracing the sweat and catching their set. Oh, and before we wrap this up, it's crucial to mention openers Rey Pila. Too often opening acts serve as an opportunity for a beer run, smoke break, or bathroom trip. Not when this Mexico City quartet was on stage. They had the fans engaged from start to finish, and wanting more. That's saying a lot when Julian and the boys were waiting in the back. Grab Rey Pila's The Future Sugar now from Cult Records - fittingly Casablancas' label.
