Gallery: Arctic Monkeys & Fontaines D.C. at Forest Hills Stadium

Written and Photographed by Emilio Herce So as to not bury the lede, there was, in fact, a mirror ball. The Arctic Monkeys returned to NYC last week to perform two sold-out nights at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium (“Hello, sports fans,” Alex greeted the crowd upon taking the stage) to perform a career-spanning set of hits for an adoring crowd. The Monkeys had performed in NYC recently, at Kings Theatre in support of their latest album The Car. Their latest album, like its predecessor, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, is sultry and orchestral in a wonderfully languid way. Unlike its predecessor, it is decidedly less of a space opera, but it continues in the form of character study songs, told from the perspective of a hero whose best days are perhaps behind them. The set included a number of songs from the new album including "Sculptures of Anything Goes," "Ther'd Better Be A Mirrorball," and "Body Paint," but for the most part AM was here to play the hits. The band dug deep into their back catalog, and the show felt like a festival set if an eclectic and extended one. They played songs including "Brianstorm," "Arabella," "Fluorescent Adolescent," "505," and other fan favorites with practiced precision. The songs, like the band themselves, have matured, but in no way did the show seem phoned in, if anything it was thrilling to see The Monkeys stretch out while playing songs that they've been playing together for nearly two decades. If the Arctic Monkeys' set was a sultry space epic, then Fontaines D.C.'s was gritty yet urbane post-punk poetry. Their songs, about the frustrations and mundanity of working-class life, made a good complement to The Monkey's songs about other kinds of frustration. Fontaines performed songs including "Televised Mind," "Roman Holiday," "Jackie Down the Line," and closed with set highlight "I Love You," which I think is a song emblematic of the band. The song is a stunning declaration of love which grapples with hard realities of life while still leaving room for grace and empathy. I have no doubt that Fontaines D.C. will soon be selling out rooms the size of Forest Hills on their own.

Gallery: Arctic Monkeys & Fontaines D.C. at Forest Hills Stadium

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