Tokyo Police Club @ El Rey 3/25

Tokyo Police Club hit off their big set to the sold out El Rey audience with fan favorite, Favourite Color.  The band did not start slow nor did they tire through their 17-song set.

The show was fast paced and never missed a beat.  The lights responded to the music, pulsing red, blues and greens and blending with strobes for the exuberant verses.  If a song didn’t naturally integrate into the next, Dave Monks stimulated his onlookers with funny banter, confessing that “its good to be back here in California” and asking if everyone is doing alright, responding to the crowd’s enthusiastic screams, “I think I already knew that.”

“Since it is motorcycle weather, we have a new song for you,” Monks announced as they began the tentatively titled song, Top 5, highlighted by Graham Wright’s harmonic keys.

After crouching to play to the crowd during In a Cave, Dave joined his band mates in the center of the stage to collaborate the intro to Hands Reversed.  During the final chorus, Monks and guitarist Josh Hook got the crowd to raise their hundreds of hands and do spirit fingers.  Before Not Sick, everyone sang Happy Birthday to Tokyo Police Club’s lucky pal, Rachel.

The most impressive stunt was performed during Wait Up when Wright and Hook tossed their tambourines to each other from opposite sides of the stage, twice!  The band returned for their encore as Monks declared, “I love encores.  I come for the shows, I stay for the encores.”  The show closed with sweeping yellow and purple lights and gracious thank yous from the band.

-britt witt