Although they played a gig last year for an after-party for a Mick Rock doc, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs hadn’t played a proper NYC show in four years before their Kings Theatre gig on November 7th, 2017. It was the last of only a handful of gigs, and the only one on the East coast.
One of their friends (and there were many friends and family members in the audience), NYC music scenester and author of Meet Me in the Bathroom, Lizzy Goodman offered an introduction. And then came a screening of the band’s documentary, There Is No Modern Romance (which is also included in the recent reissue of Fever to Tell and is screening around the country now), which shows the grimey, early and sometimes awkward days of the band.
Fans were quickly alight as Nick Zinner, Brian Chase and then, as the screen lifted, Karen O, took the stage to perform “Modern Romance” before hitting their stride with the dank “Rich”. The band reached through their catalog to play most of the debut album and other hits. “Maps” was the highlight of course. As Consequence of Sound notes, “The biggest reaction from the crowd, though, came from their massive hit “Maps”. When guitarist Nick Zinner played the skittering opening riff, the audience roared in approval. “I’d like to dedicate this song to someone you’ve loved and lost,” Karen O said. “I’d like to dedicate this song to someone you love more than life itself.”
The band was full on all night and it was great to have them back, even if it was only for a short tour. Hopefully they’ll release new music in the new year.
Setlist
Modern Romance
Rich
Cold Light
Black Tongue
Gold Lion
No No No
Under the Earth
Zero
Sacrilege
Pin
Soft Shock
Maps
Cheated Hearts
Heads Will Roll
[encore break]
Poor Song
Y Control
Tick
[second encore break]
Date With The Night