The Strokes reopened New York City venue Irving Plaza over the weekend for what was both the venue’s first show since October 2019, and one of city’s first full-capacity indoor concert since the pandemic. The band, who released latest album The New Abnormal last year, performed as part of a fundraising event for New York mayoral candidate Maya Wiley to a fully vaccinated crowd.
The 16-song set saw the Strokes play a fairly even mixture from across their back catalogue, playing fan favourites like ‘Juicebox’, ‘Someday’, ‘You Only Live Once’, ‘Last Nite’ and ‘Reptilia’. Dev Hynes – aka Blood Orange – joined the band for a rendition of Comedown Machine track ‘One Way Trigger’.
Comedian John Mulaney was a surprise guest, opening the event, and both Wiley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke onstage. Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi was unable to perform on the evening, with Longwave member and Albert Hammond Jr. collaborator Steve Schiltz filling in. View footage from the event below.
Venues across the US have begun reopening their doors to full-capacity crowds as nearly half the country reaches fully vaccinated status. Last week, it was announced the Foo Fighters will reopen New York’s Madison Square Garden this month to a vaccinated audience, without mask-wearing, social distancing or other restrictions.
“We’ve been waiting for this day for over a year,” the band wrote when announcing the news earlier this month. “And MSG is going to feel that HARD. New York, get ready for a long ass night of screaming our heads off together.”
