Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ The LeBreton Flats
By: Bradley Turcotte
Posted: July 29, 2009 – Ottawa, Canada
Art house favourites Yeah Yeah Yeahs closed out Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest. The avant-garde trio, consisting of frontwoman Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase, made one thing abundantly clear: while their set may have lacked the polished sound of their albums they sure attempted to make up for it with theatrics.
Karen O's multiple costume changes and a huge inflatable eye released into the audience made for a visually engaging show. As they opened the show with "Heads Will Roll" off their latest effort, It's Blitz!, O donned an odd sort of headdress, piped with red lighting. Her voice was painfully rough and worn and failed to replicate the sound she possesses on the YYY recordings. The band then breezed through "Black Tongue" and a cover of the Cramps' "Human Fly". While easing through a rendition of "Dull Life", O removed the lighted burlap sack from her face and her voice shifted, becoming emotional and fragile.
A slower take on "Gold Lion" was a welcome surprise—a rare instance where the live version rivalled the recorded one. "Skeletons" and "Soft Shock" followed, with the entire band now dripping with perspiration, and a red Y painted on Karen's cheek.
The live interpretation of "Down Boy" was yet another let down. Although O took to the stage floor, tangled in the mic cords and seductively rubbing the mic on her face, Zinner's guitar riffs lacked punch and were practically drowned out by the crowd.
O seemed to have the most fun performing when they tore into "Zero" and she donned her trademark leather jacket to complement the lyrics, "get your leather on." Dedicating their megahit and perhaps most recognizable song to all the lovers in the crowd, the very soft, acoustic version of "Maps" was a definite bright spot of the night.
O threw a towel over her head before performing "Y Control" and "Date with the Night", then closed out the show with the hidden track from Fever to Tell, "Modern Romance".
Through all the silver streamers and fancy attire, it was a valiant effort, but perhaps one only diehard YYY fans could absolutely cherish. One concert-goer remarked: "The big eyeball was the best part of the show."
Video: "Gold Lion" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
