“So tell me, it’s good to be back,” rasped Tokyo Police Club’s bookish indie-rock frontman Dave MonksĀ during Sunday’s quick-hitting, lots-of-oomph performance at the Newport Music Hall. For the grew-up-too-fast youngsters from Ontario, it is so good to be back.
Tokyo Police Club is no stranger to the great flat plains of Columbus; however, Sunday’s gig marked theĀ band member’s first time headlining a show at the Newport in support of their new LP, Champ. TheyĀ were victorious.
Harnessing their signature playful lyrics that are placed against no-wiggle-room alt-pop, the quartetĀ weaved back and forth between songs from Elephant Shell and Champ ĆĀ¢Ć¢āĀ¬Ć¢ā¬Å proving to Columbus theyĀ deserve the bigger stage. New songs such as “Favourite Food” and “Frankenstein” gave fans unfamiliarĀ with Champ a taste of how they have matured as a band both melodically and lyrically.
With a newfound maturity, their songs are beginning to take on a different contextual meaning. ArmedĀ with underutilized synonyms, lyrics heard live like, “Dead lovers salivate, broken hearts tessellate,”Ā seemed more like advice heard from a wise, woeful poet than rebellious youth.
But it was the quintessential TPC standards that caused the crowd to erupt. “Graves,” “In a Cave,”Ā and “Your English is Good” were as tightly wound as ever, displaying how much fun you can cram into aĀ 3-minute tune.
A spectacular surprise, Tokyo Police Club’s one-song encore was a cover of The Stroke’s raw, endlesslyĀ awesome “Last Night.” With help from opener Two Door Cinema Club, “Last Night” evoked the spirit ofĀ Julian Casablancas himself and brought the entire audience to two conclusions: One, it is definitely goodĀ to be back; and two, the new Strokes album cannot come soon enough.
This review was written by Josh Fitzwater and brought to you by the Franklin University Plaza at the LC Pavilion. For moreĀ information about shows that Josh and the Franklin crew will be attending and for chances to win tickets to concerts all yearĀ long, visit us on Facebook. Photography was provided by Phillip Chester at Phillip Chester Photography.