The Strokes | Madison Square Garden
It would be tough to pinpoint a band that honed in on an aesthetic and sound as specifically as the Strokes did at the turn of the last decade. Their debut "Is This It" took the shaggy New York City hipsters to the world stage, launching a legion of skinny jeans and vintage T-shirt wearing wannabes. We like to call them Stroke-a-likes. The band has struggled in the years since to retain that sense of importance, all but disbanding at times while pursuing solo projects, grappling with addictions, and building families.
At MSG—where NYC-raised frontman Julian Casablancas admitted to having seen some shows "in the front and in the back"—they ripped through much of their 2001 debut while wandering into less-established territories. (Elvis Costello joined the band for a version of single "Taken for a Fool"). An uneven show for sure, but the band has never really hung their hats on the live thing. "New York City Cops" got the largest applause. Most certainly not from the cops. With Devandra Banhart and the Grogs.
