THE STROKES
@ BUDWEISER STAGE, TORONTO
MAY 20, 2019
βToronto, are you ready for a Budweiser revolution?!β laughed Julian Casablancas, The Strokes frontman, as the band played a sold-out show at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage. This was a long-awaited concert that brought out old and new listeners alike; uniting all Strokes fans under one large roof.
The 5-piece New York City band, made up of Julian Casablancas (vocals), Albert Hammond Jr (guitar), Nick Valensi (guitar), Nikolai Fraiture (bass) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums), brought an iconic welcome back show to Toronto for the Budweiser Stageβs opening night.
The Strokes opened the show with guitar heavy βHeart in a Cageβ, sending the audience into a thrashing frenzy filled with nostalgic waves, followed by their popular guitar and drum-heavy βYou Only Live Onceβ, which had audience members singing along with Valensiβs riffs and Casablancasβ βooosβ.Β The Strokes were back, and most importantly they were back in Toronto.
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The setlist consisted mostly of songs from First Impressions of Earth, one of their darker albums, as well as other hits, including βReptiliaβ, βIs This Itβ, βThe Modern Ageβ, βLast Niteβ and surprisingly, even the controversial βNew York City Copsβ, which wasnβt released on theirΒ Is This It album in North America. Up next wasβHappy Endingβ from their last full-length album, Comedown Machine, which didnβt seem to be too big of a problem for the crowd.
Although there were a few sound issues, mainly muddy sounding vocals, and an overpowering bass (which Casablancas walked off stage to correct at one point), they continued to play with bliss and ignore the trivial hiccup. The Strokes were happy to be playing together and that translated to the crowd, who were screaming out every lyric word for word.
The concert was full of energy and Casablancas, whoβs usually hiding behind his dark, mysterious shades, ditched the sunglasses and interacted with the crowd, making jokes, and even grabbing the drum sticks from Moretti to play his part during their cover of βA Little Respectβ by Erasure, which was a surprise to audience members who passionately sang along.
The overall vibe of The Strokes was positive, upbeat, and some might say even better than the old days. They returned to Toronto unexpectedly and were welcomed with open arms. The concert ended with Casablancas, Hammond Jr, Valensi, Fraiture, and Moretti thanking the audience profusely as they walked off the stage, grinning ear to ear. The Strokesβ return to Toronto was long overdue and hereβs to hoping they donβt wait as long to come back.
(Photography by Kristen Manza)
Photos
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