The Strokes headed to 30 Rockefeller Plaza the musical guests on this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live. The indie-rock hometown heroes served up a pair of tunes from their most recent release, April 2020’s The New Abnormal.
First, the band appeared on a colorfully backlit stage emblazoned with the word “OBEY” for a rendition of the plucky “The Adults Are Talking”. The song was initially debuted live in early 2019 during a show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles and served as fans’ first indication that the band’s first album since 2013’s Comedown Machine was in the works. Singer Julian Casablancas, clad in a leather suit, seemed to evoke the late Freddie Mercury as he showed off his falsetto and stage presence on the song.
For their second number, The Strokes opted for “Bad Decisions”, another The New Abnormal cut initially shared in February ahead of the album’s release along with a surreal, retro video. The song instantly gives off the “arena rock” vibe. The tracks from the new album never got the arena treatment they deserved, as the band’s big reunion plans were derailed by the onset of the pandemic.
Watch The Strokes perform “The Adults Are Talking” and “Bad Decisions” on SNL below:
The Strokes – “The Adults Are Talking” – Saturday Night Live
[Video: Saturday Night Live]
The Strokes – “Bad Decisions” – Saturday Night Live
[Video: Saturday Night Live]