REVIEW: Arctic Monkeys rock the Bowl despite sedated crowd


British indie rock band Arctic Monkeys played shows at the Hollywood Bowl back-to-back nights as a part of their “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” tour. (Photo from Instagram)

On Wednesday night, British indie rock band Arctic Monkeys brought its innovative sound to the Hollywood Bowl for the second and final Los Angeles show of its “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” tour.

After the release of their commercially successful 2013 album “AM,” which featured the band’s highest-selling song to date, “Do I Wanna Know?”, band members Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O’Malley and Matt Helders took a staggering five-year hiatus. The band returned in May to kick off a global tour for its 2018 album.

Indie pop band Mini Mansions opened the evening with stunning renditions of its ’80s rock-inspired songs to a sparse audience. The Los Angeles-based band maintained its relaxed, yet powerful stage presence, as concertgoers slowly trickled in during the set.

Pop rock band The Lemon Twigs took the stage next. The crowd seemed less receptive to the brother duo as their glam rock-inspired tunes failed to elicit any applause. In fact, vocalist Michael D’Addario’s incoherent rambling between songs turned off many in the audience.

Coming off of a sold-out Hollywood Bowl show the night before, Arctic Monkeys finally took the stage and welcomed an excited and anticipatory crowd.

In contrast to the epic guitar riffs in “Do I Wanna Know?”, Arctic Monkeys’ newest album is more mellow and temperamental. The moody and pensive tone of many of their newer songs, some of which function as social critiques of isolation and greed, were surprisingly adept at filling the flashy, grand ethos of the venue.

The set began once the quartet, all sharply dressed in suits, took the stage to perform “Four out of Five,” the lead single off from its 2018 album “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.” The crowd eagerly welcomed the band on stage amid blinding red lights.

Next, the band played “Snap Out of It,” which seemed to please many fans who wanted to hear the band integrate both new and old songs into the set.

Arctic Monkeys also reached further back into their discography to play fan favorites such as “Crying Lightning,” “Knee Socks” and “Do Me a Favour.” Although audience members cheered after hearing the introductory chord progressions of these familiar tracks, many chose to sit or sway quietly, only rising for the big hits.

Turner’s vocal performance was unmatched and permeated throughout the amphitheater. However, the frontman barely interacted with the audience, only mumbling one quick “thank you” in between songs. The sparse audience interaction made for awkward transitions, leaving the show feeling scripted at certain moments.

Toward the end of the set, Arctic Monkeys played the album’s titular song “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.” The Bowl lit up with flashing green lights and the crowd began dancing — an abrupt shift from the subdued reactions just minutes prior. The band also played its most popular hit “Do I Wanna Know?”, which saw the audience singing in unison.

After bidding the audience goodnight, the band returned to the stage for a three-song encore.

A large neon sign that read “Monkeys” lit up the stage. After returning to the microphone, Turner entertained the audience with some of the band’s biggest hits, concluding with “R U Mine?”, a song heavily requested by the audience.

Though Arctic Monkeys’ new songs were able to delight Wednesday night’s crowd, the band’s musicality does not necessarily equate to strong stage presence.

Turner’s vocals were undeniably great — however, the lack of audience interaction and the seemingly scripted nature of the show prevented it from fulfilling its potential.