David Becker
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 | 6 p.m.
I’ve seen The Strokes great, and I’ve seen The Strokes terrible. The band’s return to the stage landed squarely in the middle Saturday night.
The Details
- The Strokes
- The Cosmopolitan
- March 12
The New York rock quintet’s first full-on (i.e. non-festival/non-festival warm-up) U.S. show in almost five years was notable for the frenzied reception of the Chelsea Ballroom’s sellout crowd, the live debut of five songs off upcoming fourth album Angles and little else ... unless you count the well-trimmed domes of previously furry-headed guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. and drummer Fabrizio Moretti.
The Strokes played a bunch of songs off adored 10-year-old debut Is This It, a handful off solid follow-up Room on Fire and just two off forgettable third disc First Impressions of Earth—all presented just as you’d expect. Frontman Julian Casablancas wore sunglasses and a leather jacket and postured between numbers (“Some people hate Vegas. Fuck those people ... I fuckin’ love it.”); the other four guys acted like, well, four other guys; and the sound mix sounded about as murky as it did the last time I saw them. (At this point I’m assuming a lack of sonic clarity is part of their shtick.)
The new tunes ranged from the unexpected—the throbbing, Joy Division-y “You’re So Right” and the glammy “Gratisfaction”—to hooky, mid-tempo stuff more in the band’s usual wheelhouse (“Under Cover of Darkness,” “Taken for a Fool”). None blew me away, none seemed awful and all five sapped momentum from the show, as unfamiliar numbers tend to do.
One fan, standing a few feet in front me, treated the 75-minute exercise (and in his case, it really was exercise) like a religious experience, rolling out a series of dramatic poses and screaming “We’re not worthy!” with total sincerity. Me? I found myself mostly detached from the action onstage (raging versions of “Juicebox” and “New York City Cops,” aside), pondering The Strokes’ strange early-2000s success. Was there ever anything particularly special about them? Or were they simply the right band at the right time, when rock ’n’ roll need “saving” from Limp Bizkit and Creed? I’m thinking the answer lies squarely in the middle.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas dares to be different. From the hotel’s red reservations desks to fine art found throughout the resort, The Cosmopolitan’s signature style is helping to pave its own path on the Las Vegas Strip.
Upon entering the resort, you’re greeted by pillars of video boards playing video art by Digital Kitchen and David Rockwell Studio exclusively produced for The Cosmopolitan. Just beyond that, you’ll find all your favorite casino games on the resort’s 100,000-square-foot casino floor.
The Cosmopolitan’s rooms standout as the resort’s most unique feature. About 2,220 of The Cosmopolitan’s 2,995 rooms have 6-foot deep terraces that span the length of the room, a first at a modern Strip hotel. Other in-room amenities include soaking tubs, kitchenettes and quirky accessories like artsy coffee table books.
The dining experience at The Cosmopolitan isn’t something you’ll find at other Strip resorts, either. All of The Cosmopolitan’s 13 restaurateurs are new to the Las Vegas market. You’ll find American steakhouse fare in a modern setting at STK, top-notch sushi at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill and the freshest fish flown in from the Mediterranean daily at Estiatorio Milos.
Whether the sun is up or down, Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub is the place to find the party at The Cosmopolitan. The venue is a dayclub/nightclub, complete with a pool and cabanas outside and three different rooms with three different vibes inside.
If nightclubs aren’t your thing, you can grab a drink at one of The Cosmopolitan’s five other bars, like The Chandelier, which is encased in 2 million dripping crystals.
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