Interpol: Live at Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio

With string lights draped along the walls and rugs blanketing the floor of a room packed with people, it was surreal to look up and realize that the band tucked in the corner was Interpol. As distinguished mixer Bob Clearmountain engineered in the control room and fans like Matador Records founder Chris Lombardi looked on, it was all in an evening at Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio in Santa Monica where Interpol played to a receptive crowd on the eve of the release of its fourth album, Interpol, as part of a series of intimate sessions hosted by Los Angeles radio station KCRW.

While bassist Carlos D is no longer with the band, Interpol played just as precise and tight a set as ever. Joined by stalwart Dave Pajo on bass and Brandon Curtis of the Secret Machines on keyboards, the band opened with a song from the new album, “Success.” It got some heads bobbing along to the steadily building beat, but the familiar intertwining guitars on “Narc” followed by “Lights” really got the crowd swaying.

During the mid-set interview, KCRW's Jason Bentley asked about the dynamic between the original members and the new tour additions. When lead singer Paul Banks got a few good-humored laughs after describing the band as “a nice, happy family,” it wasn’t hard to believe him since their on-stage chemistry had already spoken for itself.

The band picked up where it left off with another new song, “Try It On,” which saw the sound associated with Interpol take a turn with its start—a scattered, unraveling keyboard. By the time the band closed the show with “Evil,” there was no question about where Interpol stood. The audience members abandoned merely swaying and singing under their breaths as they danced and brought a smile to Banks’ face by shouting the line, “But hey, who’s on trial?”

If you want to listen to Interpol’s performance at Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio, tune into KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic on Thursday, September 9th at 11:15 AM PST or you can listen to it here at that time as well.