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In the early aughts, a band called Interpol came along. They were from New York City, wore dark suits even when it was like 85 degrees out, and they had a much-lauded album called "Turn on the Bright Lights." Detractors said that it was contrived, taking blatant cues from Joy Division and various post-punk acts. For the admirers, however, the argument was moot; they just liked the glacial guitars and the non-sequitur lyrics, which conspired to form an atmosphere of detachment (somehow, it just worked). Also, it was nice to hear a new guitar-based band that wasn't going down the well-trodden path of nu metal or pop punk or whatever it was that had been vetted by TRL.
Our reimagined album cover feat. L.A. State Historic Park.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of "Turn on the Bright Lights." As such, the band (sans Carlos D, their vampire bassist), will embark on set of tour dates in which they'll play the album in its entirety. On Monday, it was announced that the L.A. leg of the tour will take place at L.A. State Historic Park on September 30.L.A. State Historic Park, in case you haven't heard, is an attraction in of itself. The 34-acre park near Chinatown, which is accessible from the Gold Line and boasts a great view of the downtown skyline, had its re-opening on April 22. While the space has hosted a number of events in the past (like FYF Fest), it wasn't until last month that it was unveiled with a full slate of amenities. This comes after 16 years of delays and over three years of renovations.
On the surface, it may seem incongruent for Interpol (a East Coast band) to play against the backdrop of the Los Angeles. But we'd imagine that "NYC" will go well with the deep blue of the late-evening sky, and that "Obstacle 2" will fit in with the angular shapes of the downtown skyline. Also, Deerhunter and Battles will be opening—even more reason to hit up the show.
Interpol won't be the only band bringing music back to the park. On May 20, the space will host "Skyline," a KCRW-sponsored concert that features Miike Snow and Duke Dumont, among others.
Tickets for the Interpol show go on sale at Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m. You can find them here. You can also find tickets for Skyline here.
Related: Return to Eden: How L.A. State Historic Park Came To Be
