As the Arctic Monkeys danced on stage at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn Thursday night, they were met with so much applause and shouts that when Alex Turner sat down at the piano and sang, “Don’t be sentimental,” it was as if he was speaking directly to the audience.
While the band opened the show with a new song called “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball,” which came out just a few weeks ago, audiences embraced it as an old classic. As Turner sang the title song for the last time, in falsetto, a giant disco ball was lowered from the ceiling and lit up the Kings’ bumper stage.
To be clear: There is a good reason for Monkeymania. Thursday’s show was the band’s first major US concert since 2018, and although their signature album “AM” has been out for nearly a decade (are you feeling old?), the Tumblr era’s thirst for Turner is still very much alive. The audience erupted in shouts at every step of the frontman – jubilant when he gave up his guitar for “Why are you only calling me when you’re high?” , when he raised his microphone stand over his head during “Arabella” and, of course, as he swayed between songs, “How’s everyone doing”, with a British accent thicker than the bass tone of “Crying Lightning”.
Christian Wade
The song “AM” was generously featured on this playlist, with the band playing six of the album’s dozens of songs. And while more early work by the band could have gone a long way (perhaps “Fake Tales of San Francisco,” “A Certain Romance,” or “Fluorescent Adolescent”), the songs that came out in 2013 sound as powerful as ever. The band is still looking for ways to spice up “Do I Want to Know?” , which clearly reached the elite category of rock songs whose singles alone became ballparks. Filled with stunning harmonies and a stunning guitar ensemble, “Arabella” elicited deep excitement from the audience, with Turner carefully stating, “Arabella’s got my interstellar leather shoes.” He wants you to hear every syllable. During “RU Mine?” Turner paused for a long time, enjoying the audience’s anticipation before setting off on the explosive final chorus: “In my mind, when you’re not right next to me / I go crazy!”
“AM” seems like the obvious barrier between the shaggy-haired Sheffield boys who lit up the British Crumb Festivals and the cool grease workers who dominated the surrogate boom of the 2000s. This record laid the foundation for a more mature sound reflected in the piano-heavy luxury singers at “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” and what we’ve heard so far about “The Car” on October 21 alongside “Mirrorball,” “Turner and company played three songs from the upcoming album.” : Smoky “Body Paint”, “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” and the slow burner “Mr. Schwartz. “
“If you’re thinking of me/I might be thinking of you,” Turner said in “Body Paint,” before floating in a space-guitar crash. Mandatory Yondr bags mean phones and video were not allowed on the show (even though it was professionally filmed), so fans will be hard-pressed to find footage of new songs online. Rest assured, they sound on par with “Tranquility Base” and lead the song Mirrorball, swapping punk energy and catchy hooks for the band’s new retro lounge vibe, which is almost psychedelic. New cuts are romantic, mysterious, and at times frightening.
Although played at a slightly slower pace, early catalog favorites “From the Ritz to the Rubble” and “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” still resurfaced, and fans of “Humbug” must have been happy to hear of the song. Pretty ‘Visitors’ and ‘Approaching a Potion.’ With an eight-piece band and added backing on guitar, sync and percussion, ground-shaking “Brianstorm” sent ripples across the Kings stage, and songs from “Tranquility Base” sounded even more satiating.
A three-track song started with Mr. Schwartz” and “Cornerstone,” Arctic Monkeys wrapped up the show with their fan-favourite “505.” The crowd swayed up and down as it piled in, but when Turner yelled, “I just collapse when you cry,” the hole really turned into a dance floor—a massive mirror ball Sparkle on top.
Make the list:
1. “It’s better to have a mirror ball”
2. “One Point Perspective”
3. “Snap Out”
4. “Crying Lightning”
5. “Why do you only call me when you are high?”
6. “Arabella”
7. “Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino”
8. “Ultracheese”
9. “Body Paint”
10. “Brianstorm”
11. “Approaching a Potion”
12. “Do I want to know?”
13. “That’s where you’re wrong”
14. “Knee Socks”
15. “I’m not quite where I think I am”
16. “Beautiful Visitors”
17. “From the Ritz to the Ruins”
18. “I bet you look good on the dance floor”
19. “RU Mine?”
Encore:
20. “Mr. Schwartz”
21. “Cornerstone”
22 – “505”
Christian Wade
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