LCD Soundsystem broke up, Interpol is missing in action and The Strokes have gone to seed. The last gang standing from New York’s fabled underground music scene of the early 2000s is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Thursday night, its enduring appeal was on display at Barclays Center. It’s just a shame there weren’t more people there to see it.
The celebratory homecoming looked as if it were about to derail before the band even arrived on stage, due to the fact that the arena was barely half full and eerily quiet. But rather than sulk because not enough people showed up at their party, the trio made a point of filling the silence with opener “Sacrilege” — a standout from the new album “Mosquito.” As they performed the first verse from behind a curtain, the veil slowly lifted to reveal singer Karen O dressed in an eye-popping turquoise and purple outfit. The spectacular ensemble was topped off with a papal hat that glowed with a menacing shade of green, as if she’d stashed some Kryptonite inside it. Whatever she’s paying her stylist, it can’t be enough.
After that fantastic start, the band reverted back to playing some of its earlier, grimier work. “Black Tongue” and the discordant rock ’n’ roll squall of “Art Star” are still the best possible soundtracks to a wild night out in the beer-stained bars of the Lower East Side, but inside the vastness of Barclays, they failed to connect.
But the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have come a long way since then and, slowly, they proved it. The 2009 single “Zero” felt like a watershed moment in their career and hearing its growling synths and pulsating beat bounce across the arena felt similarly important for the show. Karen O agreed, and as a blast of confetti erupted into the crowd, she squealed, “Now it’s a party!”
The trio was generous with their favors, too, dishing out a final hour that encompassed their best and most varied work. The serene and delicate double of “Skeletons” and “Subway” both saw Karen O tone down her banshee wail to something more genteel and soulful, while “Cheated Hearts” allowed guitarist Nick Zinner a chance to show off his meatiest riffs.
The real musical marvel in the group, however, continues to be drummer Brian Chase, who manages to play his kit in a way that somebody with seven arms would struggle to replicate. Throughout the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ thrilling sonic chaos, he remains their north star.
Although any band aspiring to the arena circuit needs to employ a degree of professionalism, it simply wouldn’t be a Yeah Yeah Yeahs gig without some craziness. So for her final act, Karen O let loose one more time during “Date With the Night,” slamming her microphone into the stage repeatedly before collapsing into a sweaty heap. It’s reassuring to know that you can take the girl out of the Lower East Side, but you can’t the Lower East Side out of the girl.