Arctic Monkeys and Screaming Females’ Entertainment Art Riviera Theater Chicago, IL December 6, 2009

The Arctic Monkeys emit sounds that have been compared to bands like The Clash and Franz Ferdinand and rest assured their toe tapping, head banging melodic banter deserves such comparison. The night began with the-aptly named- DIY rock band Screaming Females’ screeching punk hymns which stirred the crowd in preparation for the Arctic Monkeys; The band’s front woman Marissa Paternoster possesses an edge reminiscent of Ursula Vari, the Shiny Toy Gun’s former vocalist. I was impressed with the band’s high strung and irritated yet infectious tunes.

The Arctic Monkeys made their grand entrance to the stage with a pre recording that led into a repertoire of dance anthems including “I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor”, “Brianstorm” and “Crying Lightening.” The crowd responded to the upbeat jams with uproarious enthusiasm; the younger crowd deemed the music ‘mosh pit worthy’ while those with wristbands were content to sip and sing along from the sidelines. These British imports have certainly made a lasting impression.

The Arctic Monkeys got their start in the United Kingdom in 2005 with their debut album, “Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not”, which became one of Britain’s top selling albums, establishing themselves in the same echelon as legends Blur and Oasis. The Sheffield born and bred band established a large amount of fans internationally by releasing their material online on social network sites such as MySpace or Face Book. But the Arctic Monkeys reached their peak when they signed with hip up and coming record label Domino in 2005 allowing singles “I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor” and “When the Sun Goes Down” to top UK music charts. The band has amassed multiple accolades including the Mercury Prize in 2006 and was named “One of the Top 5 British Albums Released” by New Musical Express, a British pop magazine. The band’s sophomore album, “Favorite Worst Nightmare”, contributed to the band’s success with the release of the singles “Fluorescent Adolescent” and “Brianstorm” both in the top 200 on the UK charts. But it was with the release of their third album “Humbug” this past year that the Arctic Monkey’s sound began to mature. Frontman Alex Turner produces more soulful and melodic vocals on the third album.

Overall, I was immensely impressed with the level of performance from the band. The way they organized the set was unusual; whereas most alternate between fast paced dance tracks and slower ballads through out the concert, the Arctic Monkeys began with an upbeat tempo and slowed it down near the end of the evening.

Although the beats slowed considerably, the crowd remained engaged throughout the entire show. Honorable mention to the single they performed from their third album “Cornerstone”, the emotive tone was reminiscent of a young Liam Gallagher. Front man Alex Turner has an infectious voice and his soulful yet satiric lyricism kept listeners moved; the stand out talent, however, came from guitarist Jamie Cook whose aptness at guitar stood out on nearly every track played, stand out moments for this concert attendee: “Still Take You Home” and “The View From the Afternoon.” Well done lads, cheers and two thumbs up from Chicago.

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