Yeah Yeah Yeahs | 06.02.09

A raw performance with a near perfect set list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pageant, St. Louis

It’s been three long years since the Yeah Yeah Yeahs last played St. Louis and it was starting to feel like a bit of a wait for them to come back. Rounding out the solid, almost month long period of awesome shows at the Pageant, there couldn’t have been a better way to end it. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs put on one hell of a show, a personal favorite, back in April 2006 and didn’t let down a soul then or now. With some threatening storms during the afternoon, the hot June day cooled down just in time for what may have been one of the best shows this year.

David Pajo, formerly of Zwan, received a hearty welcome from an already large crowd at the sold out show. Replacing Imaad Wasif as the unofficial fourth member of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, he plainly stated that he was going to play some Misfits covers for us, something one would think as sarcasm. But after one warm up song he did indeed proceed to play “One Last Caress,” “Teenagers From Mars,” and “Where Eagles Dare” on his Eastwood Delta, turning classic punk songs into moody finger style. One can only speculate on the sincerity but the execution was honest.

Next up was Grand Ole Party, a trio from the cultural Petri dish known as California – their sound sitting between Clinic, new wave and the Mummies. I can’t recall the last time I saw a stand up drum set, maybe that Weezer video. Definitely some back beat, a strong 60s surf vibe going on. Singer/Drummer Kristen Gundred has a serious voice to go along with her drumming, while guitarist John Paul wrangled some sweet retro riffage out of his Telecaster. It was great to see the crowd’s excitement. The dancefloor a solid mass and the rest of the venue not too far off, I was soon expecting one of them to blush. As they left the stage and the house lights returned, I thought about the last time I saw the YYYs live.

Back in August 2007, I traveled with three to Columbia, Missouri to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Columbia is a college town that seems to always be stuck on sleepy Sunday afternoons unless you’re in the downtown area. Even then, the most exciting thing that may happen as you walk among the store fronts, sports bars and thrift stores will be some kid in all black with sticky spiked hair asking you for money.

As we finally found a parking spot a block from the Blue Note, the car began to sputter and overheat. As this happened, the driver admitted she did not know how to parallel park and after a moment of hurried bickering, I tried my best at every teenager’s worst nightmare. I was able to secure the spot without much difficulty and as my friends cheered from the sidewalk and I killed the ignition, there was a loud pop from under the hood. Standing in the street, I could see a long pool of blue fluid stretch down the block. Looking at the engine, the problem seemed simple enough but something that couldn’t be fixed so late in the evening. Feeling moderately boned and 200 miles from home we were able to eventually secure a place to crash, and there was really only one thing we could do as our immediate worries subsided – enjoy the show.
Unfortunately, even if the drive to Columbia ended without event, the set would’ve still been pretty “meh.”
Maybe it was because I had just seen them a year before, maybe they were just having an off night, those things happen and it’s hard to be too judgmental. Still, I felt like I was watching the Rolling Stones, a bunch of musical dinosaurs going through the motions. Considering that the band was still rumored to break up any day, it was a pretty fitting image. We didn’t even bother to stick around and try to knob with the talent, we just wanted to get the car fixed and go home. It all became an elephant in the room. No one wants to talk about that time where our car broke down in the parking spot and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were just, you know, alright… I guess.

Obviously, I didn’t have high expectations for the night. Factoring in that past experience, my inability to secure a photo pass, and that I didn’t really care for It’s Blitz! – I wasn’t stoked about doing this write up. Thankfully, the opening acts definitely washed away most of my gathered apathy and by the end of opener “Runaway” I was once again a true believer in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Coming out in a kimono with a design that I can only describe as “bible belt chic,” Karen O smoothed through and postured gracefully before removing it to reveal a bright printed top (the same she wore on Jools Holland) and an orange plastic skirt.  It was evident by the end of “Phenomena” that this was not the band I saw in Columbia. Her typical poses and struts felt more alive than ever, one moment jumping around like someone half her age and the next stretching out the mic cable in an almost decedent way. During “Cheat Hearts,” she found a very opportune moment to lose the skirt, much to the joy of the crowd. Nick Zinner is still one of the best guitarists of his generation, which a live setup that confuses the common man and causes the gear nerd to salivate uncontrollably. His distortion tone wasn’t 100 percent (I chalk it up to the lack of Ampeg amps on stage) but it’s Nick Zinner. No one can play quite like him. And Brian Chase is a drummer you can actually watch, taking simple rhythms and turning them into something special. I actually found myself getting distracted by his movements once or twice. Of course, David Pajo filled in quite well on bass, guitar, and keys. He gets extra brownie points for not doing that weird thing where he puts his knees up into his chest and wobbling back and forth with a vacant stare like the other guy.
The new songs translate quite well live. “Runaway,” “Dull Life,” and “Heads Will Roll” meshed in perfectly with older songs like “Black Tongue” and “Gold Lion.” With all of their albums represented and one song from Is Is (“Kiss Kiss”) its hard to imagine a better set list (without the inclusion of “Bang,” naturally). Maybe it’s Karen O’s smile that pops up so often that sells it all. It’s hard to ignore, with those bangs in her eyes and that wide grin it’s hard to not be smitten even if a nasty bit of feedback brought it about. She deserves to be the centerpiece but unfortunately there were times where her vocal level drowned out Pajo and Zinner, causing an uneven mix. But she just smiles and laughs and it’s all OK.
With the amazing amount of energy coming from both sides of the stage the whole night it wasn’t until the encore where things got crazy. With a stiff performance of “Zero,”  “Y-Control” was the closest thing to a tipping point. Indeed, when the band rushed the stage for a second time for “Heads Will Roll” things got serious. With Karen O wearing a mask covered with pink lights, it proved a perfect transition to what is possibly their biggest song, “Maps.” You saw it coming a mile away, they had to play it at some point, but in a stripped down, acoustic fashion seemed out of left field. It was beautiful, a perfect spin on a song that has maybe lost its luster over the years and as Zinner bowed out due to a bum cable, she led the crowd in a sing-a-long through the last go of the chorus. It could’ve ended right there and everyone would have gone home, or funneled into London Calling for validation, and it would’ve been good and well but as a last surprise came “Date With The Night.” With its infectious riff and driving beat, it was like wringing out the last bit of sweat as the lights flashed and Karen O performed her early trademark, locking her SM58 in her jaws and belting out an ungodly tone. OK, now you can go home. | Bryan J. Sutter