Apparently one night of Arctic Monkeys was not enough for San Francisco who brought their Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Tour to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for two sold out nights.
Saturday night (night #1) found the fans outside on Grove Street clamoring to get through security in time to catch Mini Mansions 40 minute opening set. By the time Arctic Monkeys finally took the stage around 9:20 PM, the venue was literally packed to the rafters.
The band strolled nonchalantly onto stage and frontman Alex Turner, sporting a pale yellow suit, took the spotlight in front of his mic stand as the band launched into “Four Out of Five.” The band’s hiatus leading up to the release in May of this year of Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino seems to have had no impact on the fans’ enthusiasm. In fact, it only seems to have fueled the fervor.
The crowd soaked up the new material, bouncing and singing along as Turner seamlessly shifted between the mic stand, his keyboard and guitar as the night progressed … the rest of the band rocking out in the shadows, content to let Turner bask in the spotlight. That’s not to say that the band was phoning it in. Guitarist Jamie Cook wailed away throughout the set and drummer Matt Helders sipped a well-deserved chardonnay after his drum solo.
Arctic Monkeys left no stone unturned during their sprawling performance, twenty-one songs pretty much covering everything you’d want from a headlining set by a band that isn’t going anywhere but up. A few years off seems to have done these blokes a load of good.
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
MINI MANSIONS
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions
SETLIST
Four Out of Five
Arabella
Brianstorm
Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair
Crying Lightning
505
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?
Snap Out of It
Do Me a Favour
Library Pictures
One Point Perspective
American Sports
Cornerstone
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Knee Socks
Pretty Visitors
Do I Wanna Know?
ENCORE
Star Treatment
No. 1 Party Anthem
R U Mine?
