Julian Casablancas STILL Wears Sunglasses At Night

***Photo taken by Dana Loftus***
Thank god for somethings always staying the same. As this past year ticked away I kept anxiously awaiting news of this supposedly upcoming Strokes record. The interviews with Julian came out and they were not always what I had hoped to hear...that the band wasn't writing together and other snarky comments added by various bloggers but at least they were back in action.
With a sprinkling of surprise London shows and this past weekend's performance at Lolla it is evident the band has been practicing and are still as they have always been, one heck of an awesome rock band. Things have drastically changed since the band last toured together in 2006. Bands such as Yeasayer, MGMT, Grizzly Bear, Suckers, Neon Indian, Fleet Foxes, Local Natives have taken over the indie rock headlines and then there is the whole internet/blog craze. Still The Strokes have weathered the storm. They continue to strike a soft spot in the hearts of many ever-so-fickle tastemakers hearts and they seemed to reign over their audience in Chicago....Lady Gaga armed with fireworks and all. Good music will ALWAYS be good music. This band always had that going for them. You can't fake talent, chemistry or hard work. Pitchfork's mini-review of their set says it all. Check it out here. Another avid fan wrote a review that made me remember what it felt like to see them live here.