(a) setlist

1. Mirror Kissers
2. An Ivory Hand
3. Come On, Be a No-One
4. Different Angle
5. You Were Always The One
6. Another Number
7. Finally Free
8. Our Bovine Public
9. Martell
10. Burning for No-One
11. Glitters Like Gold
12. We Share the Same Skies
13. Pink Snow
14. I’m a Realist
15. Hey Scenesters!
16. Men’s Needs
17. City of Bugs

(b) highlights

• the Mecury Lounge is super super tiny and super super cool; the Strokes got their start there in the early 2000’s and damn, does it look like it
• the trifecta of “I’m a Realist,” “Hey Scenesters!,” and “Men’s Needs” = true perfection
• Jarman Bros. banter, always
• the dirty rock ‘n’ roll, lower east side punk-vibe of the entire show (aka getting kicked and punched but all in good fun, and never too much)
• knowing a band I’d loved for 10 years still had all the flavor and spice I remember

(c) lowlights

• the sound could’ve been better, but I’m pretty sure the “gritty exposed brick” of the venue was never intended for great acoustics
• the crowd was half “their first album is the only good one” and half “I’m going to push everyone and everything regardless if I care about the song” but I totally still had a great time despite them all

(d) overall thoughts

The Cribs are freaking great. The Jarman Brothers are Yorkshire punk-y dudes who made mid-2000’s indie exciting and every album they’ve put out has been more interesting than the last, including the one they put out with Johnny Freaking Marr of The Smiths. (Some people act like that’s a casual, normal thing – for young bands to be great enough to work with Johnny Freaking Marr and that is not normal, that is next-level amazing.)

The energy was stupid high all night, the quips between Ryan, Gary, and (occasionally) Ross were as great as brothers’ quips can be, and the newer material still felt as fresh and fun as the older gems. Seeing The Cribs always feels like stepping into a time machine in a way – not in a sickly nostalgic way exactly – but enough to make you feel transported for an hour or so. There’s something intensely English about their sense of rock music and I’ve always loved that about them. Their shows are loud, wild, and always a riot. This one was no different. It was my second time seeing them live, but my first time seeing them in over eight years, and man, it was a total treat.

Bottom line: The Cribs always bring a good time and I have no shame in admitting I totally cried when “I’m A Realist” started because I’m a sap.