The Strokes fulfilled their "lifelong dream" of opening for Justin Bieber at their Coachella comeback this weekend
Casablancas takes aim at military draft and jokes about opening for Justin Bieber.
After a 15-year absence from the festival, The Strokes have played Coachella once again, delivering a 15-song performance on 11th April that drew heavily from their early catalogue.
Julian Casablancas was in characteristically sharp form throughout the evening. Scheduled to play before Justin Bieber, the band leaned into the situation with good humour, joking about "fulfilling our lifelong dream" of opening for the pop star. "I'm here for [him], too," Casablancas added. He also voiced his displeasure at being scheduled opposite PinkPantheress, declaring: "They fucked us!"
Beyond the lighter moments, Casablancas took aim at political targets. Sporting a t-shirt that reworked the Amazon Prime logo to read "Crime", he addressed the Trump administration's push toward automatic military draft registration for men aged 18 to 25. "You guys excited about the draft? Oh, wait, not the NFL draft," he said. "In six months, I think everyone who's eligible for the military has to register. You guys excited? Well, I hope to lead one of the Coachella units. The sexiest unit in our proud military, I'm sure."
Musically, the evening centred around material from 'Is This It' and 'Room on Fire', with additional selections from 'First Impressions of Earth' and 'The New Abnormal'. Opening with 'Bad Decisions', the band moved through 'Hard to Explain', 'Someday', 'Last Nite', 'Reptilia', 'Under Control', and newer offerings including 'Selfless'. Their recently released single 'Going Shopping' also featured — a track the band had previously sent to fans on cassette and premiered at an intimate San Francisco gig before making it available on streaming platforms.
Ahead of their Coachella slot, The Strokes confirmed details of their forthcoming album 'Reality Awaits'. Further live appearances are scheduled for later in the year.
