Live music review: Interpol Honors 20 Years of Antics with Precision and Nostalgia at Moody Amphitheater
Almost twenty years ago, I downloaded my first song off iTunes. I put $0.99 down for the Interpol lead single Evil that would keep a steady hold on the automatic “Top 25 Most Played” playlist. After obsessively listening to the song, Antics became the first album I downloaded. From there it was The Strokes, Pixies, Modest Mouse, and Sonic Youth. Antics was my gateway into a wider array of sonic landscapes and I am eternally grateful for that 30-second iTunes preview that hooked me.
On November 21, Austin’s Moody Amphitheater hosted a celebration of the 2004 album, where the band delivered a masterful two-hour set to honor the record’s 20th anniversary and provide some fan favorites to boot.
Under the cool November sky, the night opened with a simmering rendition of the album opener, “Next Exit.” The band played behind a white curtain – a move that may have looked sleek to the audience, just not to the photographer’s in pit 🙂 Wasting no time transitioning into “Evil,” the famous and ominous bassline drew applause from the “seasoned” crowd alongside Paul Banks’s haunting delivery of “Rosemary…”
Interpol’s demeanor and music can sometimes appear deadly serious, and the night’s precision only heightened that effect. The performance was two decades in the making, a testament to Antics’ enduring resonance. Anniversary tours have become a welcome trend lately for fans wanting to live in the world of their favorite records again. Taking a cue from the band, nearly the entire crowd wore black; it’s not an uncommon concert choice, but this time it felt like an unspoken uniform for the faithful fans.
Interpol continued to deliver fan favorites like “Slow Hands”, where they drove into the chorus like Franz Ferdinand channeling a restless death disco. The ebow on “Take You on a Cruise” brought the same precise fidelity as their studio recordings. While Carlos D left the band in 2010, bassist Brad Truax has admirably filled his shoes, ensuring that songs like “Narc” and “Public Pervert” retained their trademark sinister allure with vibrating basslines.
After playing the full record, Interpol seamlessly transitioned into the second half of their set, delving into the broader depths of their catalog. Songs like “The Rover” showcased Interpol’s evolution from the minimalistic post-punk of their debut to the more robust textures of their later work. “Lights” (my personal highlight), built up to a boil with its hypnotic, and cinematic refrain. “Rest My Chemistry” delivered one of the band’s coolest guitar riffs amidst the song’s tightly wound intensity.
The minimalist stage design – pulsing lights casting shadows across the amphitheater – matched the band’s dark, sleek aesthetic. It allowed the music to remain the focal point, creating an experience both intimate and immersive.
“Roland” burned with raw energy, while the tender melodies of “Pioneer to the Falls” reminded everyone of the band’s lesser celebrated but still excellent third album Our Love to Admire. Stoic Paul Banks delivered his vocals with a detached coolness that only heightened their impact, while Daniel Kessler’s intricate guitar work coated the venue with grandiose reverb. The night’s closer, a raucous “All the Rage Back Home”, proved why Interpol remains one of the defining bands of the post-punk revival era.
For those who’ve grown with Antics over two decades, the show was a rare chance to celebrate its legacy. For newcomers, it was a masterclass in how to age gracefully without losing intensity. Interpol didn’t just play an album; they reaffirmed its place in the pantheon of indie rock. After one of the most critically-acclaimed debuts of the early 2000’s, they followed it up with an album that continued to exist in its own Interpol world. I’m glad it’s still being played around the world twenty years later.
All photos by Drew Doggett
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