photography by Ward Robinson

Julian Casablancas performing at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles on November 27, 2009.

Packing a double trio behind him (two guitarists, two drummers, and two pipe organs), Casablancas played two sets of fantastic new music. And it did feel new, the beats were modern and progressive, the arrangements angular, pipe organs held down the bass lines making everything feel dreamy, and the guitar lines felt in a way synthy. Of course his voice pulled it all together into coherent pop songs. Whatever internal mess created the vague and incoherent First Impressions of Earth was no where to be seen, his vision was clear as a bell.

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