And it was fucking awesome.
They played a 'free' show at a big club in the west village, sponsored by Filter, Honda, UV Vodka, Heineken and others. All this corporate money = open bar all night + posh club + free walkmen concert + lots and lots of totally wasted people.
This was a strange show for all sorts of reasons: the room was huge, way too live and way to loud. It was like a concrete hanger, even though they had put down carpet over a large area in front of where the band were playing. I didn't understand a word the singer said, and only some that he sang. And for whatever reason, he and the guitar player looked really pissed the whole show. However, I've often found that angry bands = good shows. They played almost all new material off of their new record, and it's fucking good. If it was recorded they way that they played it, this record was almost entirely written on guitars and it rocks in a very walkmen kind of way, but that is also a departure from their previous records. Also, the man who played piano for the last two records now plays bass for much of the new material. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a batch of new songs so much in a live setting without hearing them before, and I can't wait till I get to hear the finished record.
Most of the evening's strangeness came from the crowd that showed up for this: there were walkmen fans that heard about it and decided to dress up, there were regulars from the club who were on ecstacy and getting down mad crazy to the band, and then a bunch of expensively dressed hipsters who wanted some open bar love. To top it off, I can't remember the last time I was in a room with so many unbelievably hot women. I can conservatively say I saw 30 women who should be (or perhaps are) models. The whole evening basically made my head explode. While corporate shows are weird, I'd happily go to this one over and over again...
