The weather Saturday night was surprisingly wonderful despite the impending wrath of Tropical Storm Karen, which made standing in an extensive line for Arctic Monkeys even more enjoyable. This night wasn’t without buildup — I have been listening to the Sheffield-based quartet for quite a while, and after having the chance to interview drummer Matt Helders and review the band’s latest release, “AM,” I was more than ready to experience what Arctic Monkeys had to offer in a live setting.
Once the doors opened and fans made their way into the Varsity Theatre (which later filled to its 800 person capacity), the room began to buzz with anticipation. After a while, local band Circa Amore began its set. Much to their disappointment, eyes were on the venue’s side screen, playing the LSU-Mississippi State game until nearly the end of the band’s set. Half an hour later, the band packed up its gear, the lights came on and Arctic Monkeys fans everywhere braced themselves for the magic that was about to ensue.
The band came out without saying a word and immediately launched into “Do I Wanna Know?,” a crowd favorite and probably the best-known track off its new album. Vocalist/guitarist Alex Turner was a miraculous stage presence, making great use of his “dancing shoes” and constantly moving his hips to the beat. Sporting the newest in his series of ever-changing hairstyles, “the Elvis,” Turner certainly brought the rock ’n’ roll edge with a hefty dose of charisma to the night (along with a comb, which he used to style his quiff between songs).
Next up were a few Monkeys’ classics, including the head banging “Crying Lightning” followed by one of the definite highlights of the night — Turner proclaiming, “This one’s for the ladies!” before playing the opening chords of “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.” This was the point in the night when the Arctic Monkeys started to bring the sultry vibes that have become associated with the band’s new look and sound. Playing the sexiest tracks off the album, “Arabella” and “Snap Out Of It,” AM transformed the crowd from a rambunctious group to an uproar of sound.
But the best part of the night was undoubtedly when Turner swapped his electric guitar with an acoustic and brought out the swoon-worthy “No. 1 Party Anthem,” followed by the cult gem “Cornerstone.” Girls cried and boys tried to console them to no avail.
AM ended its breathtaking set with “Knee Socks” and exited the stage only to return for an encore beginning with the appropriately titled “One For The Road.” The band also played an old classic (“Do Me A Favour”) and, for the grand finale brought out the mind-blowing radio single “R U Mine?”
Though every song AM played was phenomenal and clearly well-rehearsed, the main problem I had with the performance was its shortness. I was bracing myself the entire time for more off of “Suck It And See” (my favorite AM record), but was only rewarded with “Reckless Serenade” and “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair.”
Even though the length of the show slightly irked me, I still think every member of Arctic Monkeys gave his all for this show — for a band that’s used to playing arenas, Arctic Monkeys made the Varsity crowd feel like they were the largest of the band’s tour.