The Uptown Theater played host to Interpol and Liars on Wednesday, October 10. People from all walks of life filtered through the doors and into the theater as the young and old, prissy to punk, music lovers and poseurs alike prepared to bow down to indie-rock royalty.

The fans seemed to be on a mission as two kids walked straight to the gates in front of the stage and started double-tying the knots in their shoes and stretching in preparation for the night ahead. Meanwhile, a big woman with a glittery green crotch paced up and down the aisles in anticipation. Finally, the lights dimmed, receiving loud applause from the crowd, and the opening band, Liars, took the stage.

After thanking the crowd for "coming out a bit early," Liars launched into a calming, melodic song reminiscent of a short children’s rhyme, in complete contrast to Interpol’s style, but complementing it nonetheless. The opening song proved to be the calm before the storm, as the lead singer, Angus Andrew, picked up a guitar and the real show began.

Lights previously unnoticed began to emphasize the manic beat produced by two drummers. Andrew sang fast, almost yelling the lyric "Take it up the back," while prerecorded sirens went off and the beats vibrations were felt through the floor. The primitive rock seemed to go over well, except with one poetic patron who shouted "You SUCK! Get off the stage!" at about three minute intervals,like contractions awaking a pregnant lady.

Andrew didn’t let the unwanted critic, or the theory of speed, prevent him from putting on a show like that of a great 80’s alternative band. Full of energy - and probably a little crazy too - he wore a white suit and worked the stage, performing like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on a caffeine high. After winding down with the slow and haunting "love song written for Interpol, called 'Pure Unevil,'" they filed offstage to the sound of applause and one last "You SUCK!"

The frantic, fast, and fashionable style of Interpol was received with loud cheers and applause. Opening their set with "Pioneer to the Falls," they played in front of several mini-screens that kept transforming to display one gigantic picture after another: the new CD’s case, something that looked like a hand, and sometimes simply mirroring the colored lights that changed with each song and kept the band almost in silhouette.

Interpol managed to evoke different reactions from the crowd throughout the night, whether by inspiring a guy in his 40s to jump up and down for the length of each song, stopping only when the band did, or a couple near the projection booth to dance as if in a cage at a club. At one point lead singer, Paul Banks, dedicated "Slow Hands" to the ladies and received a "Fuck Yeah!" from a phantom enthusiast.

They exited to the sound of fans cheering for four minutes while the sound technician took theatrical bows. Then, the band returned. Encoring with a handful of cherished singles, they built up to what can best be described as a rhythmic frenzy that gave way to the last song of the evening, "PDA." Banks decided to have a cigarette towards the end and let the bassist, Carlos Denglar, take over on vocals before saying goodnight and fare-thee-well to Kansas City.

While there wasn't a lot of chitchat between songs, and Interpol did come across as a little bored at times, it was all still exceptionally cool. I think anyone who is a fan of either of the bands, or is open to the idea of watching Angus Andrew mimic a wind-up toy, would agree it was worth the price of the ticket. The combination of Interpol and Liars is one I hope to see again and would highly recommend to others.

To hear new music from Interpol, check out their website http://www.interpolnyc.com/, or their Myspace http://www.myspace.com/interpol.

If you want to hear music from Liars, they have a Myspace too (shocking I know) http://www.myspace.com/liarsliarsliars, and downloadables can be found at http://liarsliarsliars.com/.

Copyright 2007 Metropolitan Community College