Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Greek Theatre, Thursday Sept. 17, 2009

Music later (setlist at bottom), fashion first: after seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs last night, I can officially declare that bangs, fedoras, and vests are on their way out, plaid is here to stay, and Asian girls are making a resurgence as the coveted accessory of white men at rock concerts (and beyond?).

Beyond that, I would describe the crowd as date night for those who may have smoked pot once in the late 90s. Some gays, some young people, some very cool, some art-house nutso, but primarly couples in their late-20s and beyond who are slightly ahead of the pop culture curve.

We missed Yacht, who must have gone on exactly at 8 and played for less than 30 minutes; we walked in around 8:30 to find The Breeders already on stage. I know little about The Breeders beyond Cannonball, but the audience was receptive. I immediately noticed that the sound felt louder than a typical night at the Greek, or maybe that was just Kim Deal’s loud (to the point of abrasive) vocals on Cannonball. They included a punkish rendition of Happiness is a Warm Gun.




I saw the YYYs a few years ago (when they were touring for Show Your Bones) at the Hollywood Palladium, and this show had just as much energy despite the larger venue. Based on the comments of those seated near me, Karen O is a fangirl’s wet dream (not sure if these girls were actual lesbians or Only for Karen O lesbians). Karen’s costumes are a crucial piece of the YYYs onstage persona; I would like to know what planet Christian Joy lives on and if I can visit someday.

I don’t like It’s Blitz as much as Show Your Bones or Fever to Tell, but it’s hard to be too critical when their performance is a bold display of raw talent and energy. The YYYs have tightened up since their first, self-titled release in 2001, but still feel wild and a bit unpredictable.



YYS setlist:
Runaway
Phenomenon
A song I can’t identify
Heads Will Roll
A song I can’t identify
Dull Life
Gold Lion
Cheated Hearts (with a lot of audience participation)
Skeletons
Hysteric
Soft Shock
Runaway
Zero (accompanied by release of 3 giant eyeballs into the crowd)
Turn Into

ENCORE
Y Control
Maps (acoustic)
A song I can’t identify