Interpol and sunlight don't mix.
But that's exactly what Ottawa Bluesfest spectators got on the second Saturday (July 18) of the sprawling 11-day festival. Decked out in dark blue and looking uncomfortably hot in the 28-degree heat, Interpol occupied the 6 p.m. slot on Bluesfest's co-headlining stage. Greeting the small but appreciative crowd, the NYC trio — joined onstage by touring bassist Brad Truax (of lo-fi experimentalists Home) — opened the show with a slightly uneven version of "Say Hello to the Angels" that found frontman Paul Banks struggling to stay in tune, an issue that would plague the band throughout most of the performance.
After another loose and shaky track, ("Anywhere," from their latest album, El Pintor) the band seemed to find their groove during a sped-up version of "Evil" that found the sun-baked crowd finally showing their adoration. Playing a 50-minute set that oddly focused heavily on material from their second album, Antics (including "Narc," "Take You on a Cruise," "C'mere" and "Not Even Jail"), and that completely omitted material from 2007's Our Love to Admire and 2010's Interpol, the band wrapped things up with a beefy rendition of "Slow Hands."
With a set better suited for a dark theatre, Interpol nonetheless kept their composure throughout their short performance, keeping fans of their early material satisfied.
Pick up the 10th anniversary edition of Interpol's Our Love to Admire on vinyl or with a limited edition DVD.
But that's exactly what Ottawa Bluesfest spectators got on the second Saturday (July 18) of the sprawling 11-day festival. Decked out in dark blue and looking uncomfortably hot in the 28-degree heat, Interpol occupied the 6 p.m. slot on Bluesfest's co-headlining stage. Greeting the small but appreciative crowd, the NYC trio — joined onstage by touring bassist Brad Truax (of lo-fi experimentalists Home) — opened the show with a slightly uneven version of "Say Hello to the Angels" that found frontman Paul Banks struggling to stay in tune, an issue that would plague the band throughout most of the performance.
After another loose and shaky track, ("Anywhere," from their latest album, El Pintor) the band seemed to find their groove during a sped-up version of "Evil" that found the sun-baked crowd finally showing their adoration. Playing a 50-minute set that oddly focused heavily on material from their second album, Antics (including "Narc," "Take You on a Cruise," "C'mere" and "Not Even Jail"), and that completely omitted material from 2007's Our Love to Admire and 2010's Interpol, the band wrapped things up with a beefy rendition of "Slow Hands."
With a set better suited for a dark theatre, Interpol nonetheless kept their composure throughout their short performance, keeping fans of their early material satisfied.
Pick up the 10th anniversary edition of Interpol's Our Love to Admire on vinyl or with a limited edition DVD.
