Ellise Shafer East London in 2023 felt more like New York City in 2003 on Friday night, as fans gathered in Victoria Park for a celebration of indie sleaze headed up by early-2000s garage rock mainstays the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Strokes.
After the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, fronted by a captivating Karen O, closed its set by dedicating “Maps” to the late Sinéad O’Connor, festival goers made the pilgrimage to the other side of the park to catch the night’s main attraction.
The Strokes, who have been making the festival rounds this summer, last played the London event in 2019, and the crowd buzzed with anticipation to hear how the band’s set would begin.
Led by singer Julian Casablancas in a leather vest and matching singular glove, the Strokes made their way onto the stage and served up the surprise of “What Ever Happened?,” the moody opening track from 2003’s “Room on Fire.” The next few songs — “Alone, Together,” “The Adults Are Talking,” “Last Nite” and “Call It Fate, Call It Karma” — set the tone for the rest of the show, which was a fascinating combination of the band’s greatest hits and nostalgic rarities.
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