If You Were There, Beware

There are two sides of the fence with the Arctic Monkeys: You love em' or you think they make stupid generic pop music. As for me, I fall on the side of the fence that loves em'. Having first seen them at the Bowery Ballroom, I remember talking with Alex post show and being like, "this is the last time an ordinary guy like myself can just sit next to you without you being mobbed." There was something about them that night that when you left the Bowery, you knew these boys would be hitting it big time on this side of the pond. Low and behold they made it to Webster (which they f'n rocked) and then Roseland (which I was told rocked but was at Radiohead...sorry there few, if any bands i give up Radiohead for).

Then there was the question can these guys put out another album as solid as their debut and guess what-they did. 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' maintains the sounds of the previous release but puts the bands maturity on display, expanding their musical skills and range. As per live shows, last night marked the first time I have seen them since Webster and was stoked and curious, "Do these guys have what it takes to make Hammerstein rock as hard as the last two shows I saw from them?" And while I can't say the whole crowd was as rowdy as the past (no soccer chants), I can safely say, they did bring the heat and those that were into it loved it!

These guys are years ahead of bands their age and are so tight. They did a couple of tracks that really segued into one another excellently and overall, it just can't be said better, they are tight. It's obvious they practice and take their music seriously and that all comes across during their live show. If you have not seen them live, I beg you to as I think that is the fairest way to judge them. As productshopnyc.com points out, don't be shocked if they are headlining MSG soon.

-Jaime W.

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