Concert Date: Sept. 27th, 2023
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento CA
I feel like we’ve all heard at least one Arctic Monkeys song as they were a staple in our generation’s alternative scene. Whether it’s “505”, “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”, “R U Mine?”, or “Do I Wanna Know?” chances are that you have been graced by Alex Turner’s sensual vocals since 2002. The English band consists of Alex Turner as the lead singer, Matt Helders as drummer, Jamie Cook as guitarist, and Nick O’Malley as the bassist. They have just wrapped up their US Tour for their most recent album, The Car. They first gained US attention in 2013 with their song “Do I Wanna Know?” as it topped the Billboard charts and became certified 3x platinum. The Car is a 10-song album that features a multitude of rock and pop genres such as Art rock, Orchestral rock, Baroque pop, Funk, and Lounge pop. It’s an album that shows how their music has evolved and personally, this album is a piece of art and worth checking out if you have been a previous fan of the Arctic Monkeys. I love growing with the musicians I follow; this is an exceptional case of evolving with music.
As a K-pop stan, I’ve forgotten the preshow energy provided by the opening acts. I know sometimes people are not super focused on them in the rush of getting merchandise or food, but I watched the opener’s entire set and had absolutely no regrets. I was blessed to be treated to a great performance by Fontaines D.C. Coming from Dublin, Ireland, they blew me away. The lead singer made the stage his own and even though I wasn’t super familiar with their music, there was a sense of nostalgia within it. They had a Smiths feel with some hard rock mixed in. Since I was at the Sacramento Kings home ground, they all had Kings outfits on which was sweet and made it feel much more intimate. They did a great job of not only showing off their own personal style as well as getting us hyped for Arctic Monkeys.
Now for the main event! Let me preface that this concert had a GODLY setlist. My inner emo middle schooler was very content in this venue. From my seats, I had a great view of not only the stage but also the crowd and all the energy. The visuals of this show were impeccable. With a custom disco ball and an amazing light demonstration in the back, it felt both futuristic and retro at the same time. This decision definitely enhanced the environment! As a casual fan of Arctic Monkeys since 2013 this had been a dream come true. Alex Turner has such an incredible stage presence that made me captivated from the first note. Turner sounded incredible as if it was the recording being played. If he hadn’t played around with some of the timing or vocal riffs I would’ve believed he was lipsyncing because he sounded that perfect. The way he moved across the stage was hypnotic. They mixed their slow songs into their set in a very calming way where we knew we could bring out our phones for some ambient light and take a little breather before a guitar solo invited us to start screaming once again. They weren’t super chatty throughout the show which was okay since we had such a good lineup of music to enjoy. Also, even though we were in an arena, it still felt like a very intimate environment which is often rare nowadays for such big artists. It takes a lot to make a connection feel very natural and the Arctic Monkeys did just that.
Some of the setlist highlights were “505”, “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor”, “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball”, “Knee Socks”, “Body Paint” and “Fluorescent Adolescent”
My final thoughts are that the Arctic Monkeys–, with their musical maturity and continuous pushing of the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll– are definitely some of the best of our time. I highly suggest you check out their 2022 Album “The Car” to enjoy their recent release and if they go on tour again, don’t miss the opportunity to see them live as they put on a show to remember.
