Interpol delivers amazing, passionate live performance

Sunday night’s show at The Fillmore was all business and
all pleasure. For an hour, the New York rock quartet Interpol
created an expansive, moody soundscape that was as atmospheric as
it was cutting.

Appearing on stage immaculately dressed as though each member
was working a pleasant desk job, Interpol’s starched suits
belied the passion that seeped through its music. The band’s
broody stories of subways, butchers and troublesome women are
certainly full of gloom.

Interpol’s live sound does not differ greatly from the
music on its debut album, “Turn on the Bright Lights,”
which was almost universally critically-lauded and made them one of
the most talked about post-punk bands of the year. There was
something genuinely amazing about the band’s precise live
recreation of its recorded sound. It was never laborious but merely
beautiful.

The band is unique in that neither singer/guitarist Paul Banks
nor guitarist Daniel Kessler play “lead” guitar ““
each plays a sort of rhythm guitar to bassist Carlos
Dengler’s melodic and full bass lines. This method of attack
paid dividends, as songs like “Obstacle 1,” which the
band furiously plowed through, drove the capacity audience into a
frenzy.

On the equally driving “PDA,” drummer Sam Fogarino
anchored the band in its propulsive strike; guitars clanged and
Banks’ deliberate muttering only heightened the music’s
sense of urgency and ambience.

The audience for the second of the two sold-out Fillmore shows
was respectful ““ the only catcalls came from fans requesting
songs ““ and the band complied, playing every song on its
debut. Besides a few “thank you’s,” the band did
not interact with its fans; however, from time to time they broke
the business, up-front stone-cold facade, cracking the occasional
smile.

The highlight of the performance was the rendition of “The
New,” which featured a unique guitar interlude. Banks and
Kessler twiddled their guitars’ tuning knobs and the
instruments let out strange, mournful sounds.

The music of Interpol may be cold, but it is emotive
nonetheless, and hearing it live is a joy.