Interpol @Madison Square Garden

I cant remember if this was my fourth or fifth time seeing Interpol live, I just know it won’t be my last. One of my favorite New York bands to watch perform, this time I would be seeing them play at Madison Square Garden. I used to go to many shows at MSG as a teenager including Neil Young and Wilco, Justice, The Strokes and Devendra Banhart. The concerts were (often) perfectly timed so that I could go and still make curfew.

So it came as quite a surprise to me when it was almost 9:30pm and still, no Interpol. Luckily, once you make it past the airport-like security there are many options for overpriced drink and food, and I was in no position to turn down a snack and some beer after skipping dinner to make it to the city on time after work.

Snail Mail opened and played a 20-minute set that overall got a warm reception from the impatient crowd, followed by Car Seat Headrest that played a much shorter but animated set after.

Interpol played a 17-song set with a 3-song encore that spanned most of their discography (with the exception of “PDA” and “The Heinrich Maneuver”) ensuring fans got what we asked for. “C’mere,” “Public Pervert,” “Rest My Chemistry,” and of course, “NYC,” feel like a descriptive map of the city, it only makes sense to enjoy them played at home.

The stoic nature of the band expresses the vulnerability and abstraction of their lyrics, often detached . The light show was impressive as always, perfectly in tune with the ebb and flow of their performances, creating a combination of smoke, lasers and refraction from the many disco balls shining tiny glitter-like lights onto sports jerseys hung high up along the venue’s ceilings.

“Obstacle 1,” perhaps one of my all-time favorite songs was the last song played during the encore, and was the perfect way to end the show.