ARTICLE BY CHERYL CHENG
JAN. 11 | POMONA—The conversations outside Pomona's Glass House tonight mainly revolved around how long one had been waiting at the venue and how much one had paid for their ticket. "I've been here since 10 a.m.," said one person near the front of the line. "I paid $150!" exclaimed another. All of the fuss was for the anticipated return of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whose last local show was at the Greek Theatre in 2009. Despite a few shows here and there, the band has largely been quiet, which explains tonight's warm-up show. 2013 promises to be a busy year for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with the spring release of their fourth album Mosquito as well as rampant Coachella rumors.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs treated fans to three new songs tonight, opening with "Mosquito" (whose song title might also be "Suck Young Blood" or "Skeet"). The rousing song was an upbeat beginning to the night, as Karen O playfully obscured her face with her zebra-print cape, repeatedly yelping, "Suck young blood!" (To listen to the song, click here.)
After fan-favorite "Phenomena," the band brought down the lights and energy level for new song "Earth," a more subdued number during which Karen O wore a headlamp and danced to the heavy drum beats. (To listen to the song, click here.) As Yeah Yeah Yeahs warmed up to the crowd, the set became even livelier. Dressed in a sparkly zebra-print top, sequined red pants, and a large Y necklace, Karen O was the main attraction. She threw Y-shaped confetti during "Heads Will Roll," put the mic in her mouth during "Pin" (a signature Karen O move), and passed the mic around for the audience to sing along during "Cheated Hearts."
With the exception of words of thanks, Yeah Yeah Yeahs kept the dialogue to a minimum until the end. When introducing the first song of the encore, "Maps," Karen O said, with the mic to her heart, "This is a Yeah Yeah Yeahs love song." She dedicated the song to "the fans who were lined up at 7 in the morning and shit, all you who came out to Pomona, all you motherfuckers in the crowd…" She then enthusiastically declared, "We’re back, man, we’re back!"—which was met with loud cheers from the audience.
The band ended with "Tick," a track from their debut album Fever to Tell. It was a nice way to end the night, a nod to the fans who have been with them since the beginning. By the end of "Tick," Karen O was visibly spent, giving the performance her all. "Thank you, Pomona! We're the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. You know that. We love you," she said. Clearly enjoying themselves, Yeah Yeah Yeahs are indeed back and in top form, and all the fans who had waited hours outside the venue or spent three times the face value of a ticket definitely felt it was worth it. Stay tuned for more from Yeah Yeah Yeahs this year.
Setlist
Mosquito (new song)
Phenomena
Earth (new song)
Heads Will Roll
Pin
Down Boy
Subway (new song)
Skeletons
Soft Shock
Gold Lion
Zero
Cheated Hearts
Encore
Maps
Tick
(The titles for the new songs are based on setlist.fm.)
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