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Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Concert Review)

Fondly Remembering My Dazzling First Date with a Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Night

By Ashley Hans: Philly Music VocalizerPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 4 min read
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PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren McLean/Queen Mclean Media

If I had just one word to describe a previous Yeah Yeah Yeahs' performance at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, I would've said "sparkly." From the confetti that blew like a whirlwind off and around the River Stage, to lead singer Karen O's shiny Michael Jackson-esque studded leather jacket that I wanted to steal, to the way the moonlight danced across the Delaware River Waterfront as if under a sorcerer's spell, everything about that supernaturally spectacular and magical mid-September night was sparkling.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren McLean/Queen Mclean Media

There's a paraphrased Buddhist quote that goes something like: "Happiness should be like a candle. Share the flame with other candles and the room becomes brighter." This precept prevailed for Karen Lee Orzolek, professionally known as Karen O, the fabulous frontwoman of the indie art-punk rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Except, in the case of Karen O at her incredibly unique Philly concert, you could have replaced the word "flame" with "microphone."

Towards the beginning of the set, Karen crouched down to share her microphone with four or five audience members. She invited these individuals to participate in singing the chorus to a well-known Yeah Yeah Yeahs song. As luck would have it, the last of these chosen crowd cats happened to be a yowler of a young guy who was entirely tone-deaf. His off-key caterwauling caused a good-natured laugh to ripple throughout the entirety of the Great Plaza's amphitheater-like space. What the poor chap lacked in vocal ability, he more than made up for in enthusiasm.

Karen O then launched into "Sacrilege," the first single from Yeah Yeah Yeah's fourth and then-newest studio album Mosquito, which released in 2013 on Interscope Records. At the time of this article being published, February 2022, Mosquito remains Yeah Yeah Yeahs' still-newest studio album.

Shortly after the live performance of "Sacrilege" started, it stopped. The band was experiencing some technical difficulties. I had no idea they were experiencing any difficulty at all until Karen told us they were. I just assumed Nick Zimmer's crescendoing and crashing guitar riffs were part of the act, an electric build-up to the next song. (The group was also joined by Yeah Yeah Yeahs' drummer Brian Chase, as well as touring second guitarist David Pajo.) After Karen announced, "Sorry, we're having some technical difficulties" with a little laugh, the audience cheered.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren McLean/Queen Mclean Media

Why would an audience cheer at technical difficulties? Especially when the rock babe and her band are so beloved?

Because it meant we got to have more time with the bellowing beauty to ourselves, of course!

Karen O has all the confidence and swagger of the punk-rock badass that she is, but her je ne sais quoi appears to be utterly without ego. She's a total sweetheart who happens to also be a singing superstar. Karen connects with her crowd in such a way that she makes you feel like you're watching one of your finest friends up on stage. A popular pal who's so impossibly popular that you hardly ever get the chance to see her, but whenever you hear she might show up at the same shindig as you, you get ridiculously excited because she makes every rendezvous radder.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren McLean/Queen Mclean Media

During the night, the band handed us a bandful of their newest songs, including the second single from Mosquito entitled "Despair." While Karen was singing about "my wasted years," I couldn't help but think about how many years I didn't waste being a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Their show at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia was a perfect concert capstone for me — it was the culminating crest to my many years of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fandom.

Previous to this particular show — which occurred at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing on September 17th, 2013 — it had been four years since Yeah Yeah Yeahs last played Philly. I could only hope at the time of the 2013 Penn's Landing show that it wouldn't be so long until the band came back. It turned out my hope was hapless, as most hopes and all hopers are. In December 2014, Yeah Yeah Yeahs announced they were taking a hiatus. In June 2017, Yeah Yeahs Yeahs announced they would resume touring. In September 2018, Yeah Yeah Yeahs returned to Philly for a performance at the Electric Factory.

Nobody from the audience on that special September eve back in 2013 wanted to let the Yeah Yeah Yeahs go. Unbeknownst to us, we at the time were all evidently Yeah Yeah Yeahs clairvoyants. We demanded an encore.

We were first treated to "Maps." As Karen O sung the lyrics, "They don't love you like I love you," she might as well have been singing the words from her fans' perspective. Each and every one of us fell completely in love with this gorgeous goddess of art-rock. The band's set concluded with the superbly suitable "Date with the Night."

Flawlessly fitting, that's what that final song was. Because the intense rush you get after experiencing incredible live music, such as that of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, is the exact same rush you feel following a phenomenal first date with your out-of-the-blue boo. The night ends and you've made it home, yet you're still reeling. You want more. Your desire is daring because you've dared to desire. You're left with a heart that hums, a pulse that pulls, and most splendidly, a spirit that sparkles.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren McLean/Queen Mclean Media

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About the Creator

Ashley Hans: Philly Music Vocalizer

Indie music lovers pride themselves on having an eclectic taste in music; so do I. But there are two differences between the pretentious masses and me. One, my taste is better. Two, I'm not pretentious.

(e): [email protected]

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