Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Toyota Music Factory, Irving, TX

Words and photos by Scott Rowe

Did that really just happen? Did I actually get to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? For many years, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been somewhat of a unicorn for me; something you hear a lot about and would love to see but somehow has remained an object that has escaped my glance. Until 2023. And it turns out that I'm not alone in this situation. The YYYs have been a band since the turn of the century but they have not paid a visit to the DFW Metroplex since 2006. So if you've managed to catch this unicorn of a band, you would have had to travel to another city to see them in the last 17 years. That's simply an amazing fact. I moved to Dallas from NYC in the spring of 2010, which means I've never had the option of seeing the YYYs without venturing out of state, more less the Metroplex. So to say that I wasn't excited for this show was a massive understatement, as I've followed them for many years and I was about to get my first glimpse of this musical unicorn.

I do have to be forward with my expectations of this show. They were through the roof, which is a bit unfair for the band, as I would probably feel somewhat let down regardless of their performance because my expectations were simply impossible to attain. But with that said, I did enjoy the show immensely.

The aura that surrounds Karen O, while not be visible to human eyes, is a testament to her ability to transcend the stage and create a visual and auditory experience that few can replicate. She's playful as she bounces around and dances onstage, singing briskly to the opening "Y Control" before belting out aggressively in a way only she can. Backed by longtime bandmates Nick Zinner and Brian Chase, the band sounds tight and you can tell they are a well-oiled machine. While her bandmates pave the way in terms of sound, all eyes are on Karen O and her onstage antics and persona. A self-described introvert, Karen O is everything except that while on stage. It's her escape and her release and it makes the show that much better.

Despite the band releasing their first studio album in nearly a decade with 2022's Cool It Down, it did not bear the most weight of the night's setlist. That crown went to their iconic, debut album, Fever to Tell, which provided five songs of the fifteen-song setlist. The show was packed with a good chunk of their hits, including "Cheated Hearts", "Zero", and "Gold Lion". They were also kind enough to play one of my absolute favorites with "Soft Shock" from their amazing 2009 release, It's Blitz!. Karen O acknowledged the band's absence from the DFW Metroplex but those in attendance let bygones be bygones, as they were enjoy every minute of the show. The band also gave the Toyota crowd a first-time performance of the song "Different Today" from the aforementioned Cool It Down. A nice surprise indeed. But as the evening wound down on their nearly 90-minute set, the band finished their set with a tag team of hits with "Maps" and "Heads Will Roll". But not entirely finished with DFW, they came back with a two-song encore and finished the night with a pulverizing rendition of "Date With the Night". It was the perfect bookend to a night I thought may never come. 

Photos of the show are below:

enjoy.