Alex Turner totally wants to party with us. It’s true. He said so. It was more like, “Pittsburgh, I wanna have a f***ing party with you!” slurred in a hazy Sheffield accent to hundreds of screaming, sweaty bodies. But the sentiment was nice.
The Arctic Monkeys, an English indie rock band hailing from Sheffield, took the stage at the outdoor theater at Stage AE on June 17th. The show was sold out and the body distance between people solidified that fact. With temperatures climbing into the upper 80’s, the pit was hot, sweaty, and feeling like the sunglasses emoji (isn’t that what we all feel like when we listen to Arctic Monkeys?).
Opening for the band was four-piece Texas-based rock band, White Denim. Lacing classic southern rock with indie progressive rock, the band played older and newer songs from their latest album Corsicana Lemonade (2013). Songs seeming to slide into the other, the band honed in on classic rock and roll stage presence – long music interludes of, for lack of a better term, them rocking out. The guitarist, Austin Jenkins, wowed the audience with impressive finger work; sliding up and down the fretboard while front man and lead vocalist, James Petralli, shifted his voice from singing smooth verses to a growling and raspy chorus.
Arctic Monkeys took the stage after. A staple band in any indie music fan’s repertoire, the band played both old and new songs, but leaning towards their latest album, AM ([2013] It was the “AM Tour” after all!). Opening with “Do I Wanna Know” (AM) the crowd surged forward as the sun set. A giant fluorescent amplitude modulation hung from the back – the signifier from the latest album. The band’s growth and development were easily heard. In their latest album, the lyrics are shoved more into the spotlight rather than impressive guitar riffs and syncopation diversification that the band is notorious for. Playing almost the entirety of AM, the band also dipped into their past and played classics like “Brianstorm,” rocky and aggressive garage rock, reminiscent of the band’s earlier sound, pulling in vibes of the Strokes and Oasis.
It epitomized a rock show – smelling of sweat, smoke, and cheap alcohol; people danced and screamed the lyrics to the band. Alex Turner, a man of few words, had the audience by his finger, crooning hypnotically into the mic, breaking for guitar solos, and did I mention the man can thrust his hips? (It’s pretty hot, I’m not going to lie.)
Overall, it was an incredible show. Both bands put on an excellent performance. They had great stage presence and a way to play music that you can feel deep within your chest. Is there anything more pure and real than live music?
Photo Credit: Instagram: @Opusoneprod @abbystubenbort