Pop Break Live: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs at The Met Philadelphia on November 8, 2023.
It was 20 years ago that Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their game changing debut studio album Fever to Tell. The bands high energy outrageous shows were legendary and made them a must see band back then. The rest is history. When the band (Karen O, Nick Zinner and Brian Chase) announced a short fall tour on the east coast they included a show at the Met. It was no surprise as this area was an early supporter of the band and one of their very first shows was played in Philadelphia at the First Unitarian Church.
Appearing on stage, iconic frontwoman Karen O was wearing a colorful glittery outfit, long green gloves and a cape with fringe that was black, white, green and red. Her glitter belt said KO. The cape and her white rimmed sunglasses were ditched before the third song and landed on the stage floor. The stage set up consisted of a confetti cannon, strobes, lasers and set lighting that ran the gamut of reds blues and purple. The band kicked off with “Spitting Off the Edge of the World”, a gem off their latest album Cool it Down. It was a career spanning setlist with some surprising deep cuts.
Some of the biggest highlights were early on in the set which included “Burning”. The red lighting made the song even more intense and dramatic as it already was. The place erupted and they went right into “Zero.” It really set the tone for the rest of the night. Other songs that stood out were fan favorites “Maps,” “Gold Lion,” “Heads Will Roll” and a stunningly beautiful version of “Love Bomb.”. The audience seemed thrilled when the played stuff they hadn’t performed in a long time like “Machine” and “Our time.”
Karen O’s chemistry with the audience was incredible as she danced, twirled and jumped throughout the set and encouraged the fans to sing along and join in on the fun. They happily obliged. Her energy was seemingly boundless! She talked about the vibe in the room and said that she could feel there was love, tenderness and passion right in this crowd. There were many dedications to people on songs throughout the set. Her playful banter with her band mates was fun to watch. This was a high octane show and fans were treated to some great guitar licks and thrashing from Nick Zinner, and some serious pounding on the drums from Brian Chase.
The encore included “Y Control” and “Date With the Night,” two songs off their Grammy- nominated debut album Fever to Tell. The show ended in dramatic fashion with confetti and a jam as Karen O tried to obliterate her microphone by smashing it onto the stage floor. When that failed she simply shoved it down her pants! The crown applauded as there is nothing like some old school punky showmanship. It was a great night of music with one of the most influential bands of their generation. There is no doubt this night will be a lasting memory for everyone who witnessed this incredible performance.
