Some of you missed it, ya just about missed it.  In their first show of 2013 following a long tour break, the Arctic Monkeys simply aced Ventura last night.  The Sheffield band delivered a swaggering show before a sold-out, manic crowd at the Majestic Ventura Theater.  From song one, Alex Turner and the boys jammed through a scintillating 21-song set that featured many fan favorites (though, sadly, minus Riot Van).  We had tried repeatedly to see them live since becoming enamored by them in 2006, but had never been able to make it work.  Until last night.  It was well worth the wait.

It has been a long, long time since we’ve seen a crowd this inflamed and enraptured by a band (not since, perhaps, Radiohead at the Santa Barbara Bowl in 2001, The National at the Wiltern in 2007 or The Jam at Royce Hall in 1979).  It was one of those epic, know-every-word-to-every-song crowds, with moshing, singalongs and serious fervor throughout the band’s rocking set.  Surprisingly, their audience was a societal cross-section, not just your average indie crowd, which added to the celebratory atmosphere.  Arctic Monkeys have struck a deep chord with their audience, and it is a sight and sound to behold.  Get ye to Glastonbury this summer for their headlining slot there.

AM kicked off their brazen show with a brand new song entitled Do I Wanna Know? from their impending studio album (their fifth) that was evidently recorded in Joshua Tree.  The dark rocker would not be out of place on any of their recent albums that have, since their first album, gradually included more grunge/metal influences (see Soundgarden). You can watch the video of the new song below along with another highlight, Crying Lightning.  The band played with cohesion and chops in Ventura, and never skipped a beat while Turner danced, disrobed, combed and dazzled with his vocals throughout the set.  Other song highlights were Dancing Shoes (first time performed since 2009), Fake Tales of San Francisco (first time live since 2007), I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Cornerstone, Fluorescent Adolescent and 505.

Following the show’s end, the crowd moved out onto the street in continued celebration.  As we left, we looked up at an upstairs window of the old theater and saw Alex and the boys celebrating a job well done (see below).  We can’t wait to catch ’em again.

Check out the Ventura setlist at bottom.

Setlist:

Do I Wanna Know?
R U Mine?
Dancing Shoes
Brianstorm
Brick by Brick
Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair
Evil Twin
Old Yellow Bricks
The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
Crying Lightning
Pretty Visitors
Do Me a Favour
Cornerstone
(Semi-Acoustic)
She’s Thunderstorms
The View from the Afternoon
Fake Tales of San Francisco
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
That’s Where You’re Wrong

Encore:
Suck It and See
Fluorescent Adolescent
505

Photos by Lefort and Bill Cuttler

And in our daily National news….  While we were Monkeying around in Ventura with the Arctic variety (more on that later) when The National appeared on The Colbert Report last night.  Watch below as the band perform Graceless and Sea of Love (yet again, but it never gets old) off their bar-setting new album Trouble Will Find Me.  Colbert’s interview with singer Matt Berninger is at bottom.

We at Chez Lefort are thrilled to be attending the Arctic Monkeys concert at the Ventura Theater tonight.  We have waited a long time to catch this globally-loved band, having been huge fans of them ever since their breakout first album (Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not) dropped in 2006.  While continuing to deliever number one albums and songs in Britain, the band has expanded its sound repertoire somewhat.  Regardless of that evolution, leader Alex Turner’s distinctive, Sheffield-accented vocals and superb songwriting (lyrics especially) still lead the way.

Having checked their recent tour setlists, we were disheartened to see that the band hasn’t recently performed live our favorite song, Riot Van.  Oh well, lots to look forward to tonight.  The band is rumored to have been holed up in Joshua Tree recently recording their next album before they headed off on tour, which will include their second headlining slot at Glastonbury this summer.

If you don’t know them, to get a feel listen to an acoustic version of Riot Van below and then check out the (more representative) song and official video in R U Mine? off of their fine 2012 album Suck It and See.

Gonna be great.  We’ll report back.

We confess to being late to the Laura Marling praise-party.  While critics around the globe and other musicians we respect (Ryan Adams et. al) have been singing her praises for years, we have never fully understood the allure.  But we’ve been wrong before in our premature evaluations.  Marling will next week release her new album entitled Once I Was An Eagle (see cover above).  We’ve caught smatterings of the new album and are more impressed than with her previous efforts.  Please let us know what you think of Ms. Marling.  To help in your assessment, Marling (now an LA-transplant) appeared on KCRW this morning and performed I Was An Eagle/You Know (Medley)  from the album.  Never has she sounded and played (see the open-tuned strumming in the video) more like one of her obvious influences, Joni Mitchell.  We will certainly grant her intensity and seriousness of purpose.  What say you?  You can listen/watch the full KCRW session HERE.

In daily National news, as warned the band showed up on the Letterman Show last night and performed Don’t Swallow the Cap off of their mesmerizing new album Trouble Will Find Me, which is officially released today. You can buy it HERE.

Photo by ntnl • Instagram

And now in our seemingly daily news regarding The National….  In support of its spectacular sixth studio album Trouble Will Find Me, The National recently performed for WFUV, which has now released two video vignettes from that session.  Check out the band performing Graceless and Sea of Love below.  The National also will appear on the Letterman Show tonight so set your DVRs.

Jim James (My Morning Jacket) was recently on tour (and will play the festivals this summer) in support of his first official solo album, Regions of Light and Sound of God.

Courtesy of Kitchen Sessions, watch James and band below at the Neptune Theater in Seattle performing the lead track off his album, State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.).   Watch as James preaches a bit (in a good way) about the questionable benefits of technology before breaking into full Flying V mid-song.  All while in his pastoral suit.  Great stuff.

Jim James – Neptune Theatre – Seattle WA from Kitchen Sessions on Vimeo.

No, not Ben E. King’s famous song of the same name.  Instead Seth Avett (Avett Brothers) chose the traditional gospel hymn to perform solo on a train.  Amongst others, the song has been famously performed by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.  Seems a perfect fit for a train ride on America’s rails.  Check it out below.

The Canadian duo Purity Ring blew through Coachella last month on their current world tour in support of their latest album, the much-loved Shrines.  While nearby they showed up on the Carson Daly Show to play Fineshrine and Belispeak off the album.  Check ’em out below.  Great sounds, lighting and effects.

It’s been The National all-the-time in these parts.  The band recently showed up at KEXP to perform four songs (Fireproof, Graceless, Heavenfaced and Sea Of Love) off of their imminent new album Trouble Will Find Me.  You can stream the audio performance HERE (click on “Full Performance”).  The album is also still available for streaming at iTunes.