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Thursday, 1 January 2004
THE STROKES/KINGS OF LEON LIVE 12/31/03
Mood:
 chillin'
I've lived in Las Vegas for almost 10 yearz now and I've only spent one New Years Eve on the infamous Strip.Everyone should experience it once,then ferget about doing it ever again cuz it's just a plain madhouse.And last night,with the threat of terrorism in the chilly air,it wazn't where I waz gunna be.
Planz for the new year festivities were comin' down to the wire so we opted to go see The Strokes right down the street from where I live at The Cox Pavilion,a small lil' auditorium usually where the local bands play.A few weeks after making that decision we learned that Adler's Appetite,Motochrist,Taime Downe & others' where also playing just five minutes away.Crap!!Not enuff money for both,and it's too late to change the plans.
Not that I don't dig The Strokes,it's just that if I had to pick I'd go for the Glamoriffic sleaze rawk show.But the die was cast.
And it wazn't a dissapointment.
First thing:The crowd.People watching iz alwayz fun at concerts cuz each band alwayz brings in thier own type.Last nights crowd waz pretty interesting.Young kids dressing like thier grandfathers did in the 60's,with thier Stonesish hairdos and jackets,ties and nerd glasses.The male population has that whole Jerry & The Pacemakers look all down pat!Which is so refreshing,funny yes,but so much better than the Fred Durst/Whigger look.
Second Thing:Having to sit thru almost two hourz of Reggae muzik before the bandz hit the stage.I firmly believe that white people really don't like reggae,they just think they do.Take away the marijuanahootchie from the reggae culture and fratboys wouldn't have anything to do with it.
Third Thing:The opening act finally started the festivities,which consisted of one lone drunk hippy chick with a fucked up keyboard and a drumstick named Regina Spector.
Sheesh.Felt like I walked into a cafe in the 90's on the set of "Singles".Alright lyrics and a good voice still couldn't dilute the overdramatic pretension of this act.
Fourth Thing:After another hour of Cindy Lauper toons over the P.A.,finally The Kings Of Leon hit the stage.They were quite impressive with thier brand of garage rock played by CCR kinda hook.They got the crowd goin' pretty good and thier songs go over much better live than on the record.Very good!
I think the last song they did(which I don't recall the name of and I'm too lazy to go look it up)waz the highlight of the whole evening.Blew my mind!
Fifth Thing:Another long wait and finally The Strokes burst out upon the stage like teenage Beatles!The girls high pitched Budokan screams filled the small place and incredibly bright strobe lights barraged our eyeballs.Thier toonz make people hop,up and down,and in a happy way.These kids came to rock,not to bludgeon each other with thier skinheads n' baseball caps."New York City Cops"waz cranked shortly before midnight,then another toon and they ended it right on the dot-10 seconds before the birth of 2004.All in all a very good n' plenty fun live band.Still missed The Pussycat n'GnR guys,but The Strokes & The Kings Of Leon proves that the future of rock n' roll is all right.
Sixth Thing:The cell phone cameras have replaced the bic lighter.Saw more of those lighting up the crowd than flames.Which is probably a good thing cuz we've all burnt our fingertips enuff partaking in the rock concert ritual.
If it wasn't for the cellphonecams I coulda swore we went back in time to 1966 than ringing in 2004!
Ragz Rates Regina Spector:3.5
Ragz Rates The Kings Of Leon:8.0
Ragz Rates The Strokes:7.5
Posted by ragzdandelion
at 7:15 PM PST
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