England’s Arctic Monkeys drive “The Car” through United Center, “Look Good On The Dance Floor”

Photos provided by United Center

Being one of the most consistently compelling English exports of the last two decades has afforded Arctic Monkeys endless global acclaim, which continues to translate to tremendous ticket sales in America and elsewhere.

Five years after headlining Lollapalooza, fans flocked to the United Center, filling every single seat and much of the general admission floor to take a drive in “The Car,” alongside a fairly comprehensive glance in rearview mirror.

To get warmed up, singer/guitarist Alex Turner, guitarist Jamie Cook, bassist Nick O’Malley and drummer Matt Helders, plus four additional players, applied a laid back and lounge-like tone to “Sculptures Of Anything Goes.”

From there, they delivered the double punch of “Brainstorm” and “Snap Out Of It,” generally staying on the assertive and insistent side of the dial for about 100 minutes, but occasionally favoring a lower key though no less engaging approach.

“Arabella” made for a midpoint high, coming from the landmark, multi-genre melting pot “AM,” the album that actually earned the highest quantity of shout-outs, followed closely by the ambitious atmospheres of “Favourite Worst Nightmare.”

No matter material’s source, the group kept it mainly about the music, accompanied by a circular video screen and flood or strobe lights, although come the tail end of “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball,” an enormous disco ball labeled “Monkeys” dropped out of the sky and glistened for “505,” further adding to the visual appeal.

An extended edition of the subdued yet sublime “Body Paint” closed out the main set, prior to the Arctic Monkeys returning for a trippy, harmony-stacked version of “punk poet” John Cooper Clarke’s “I Wanna Be Yours.”

For those willing to wager, “I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor” found the core four cranking out as much sputtering swagger as when they initially redefined the course of indie and alternative rock, while the same could be said nearly a generation later regarding the arena-ready anthem “R U Mine?,” prompting every age to answer loudly in the affirmative.

For additional information on Arctic Monkeys, visit ArcticMonkeys.com.

For a list of upcoming Live Nation concerts, visit LiveNation.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the United Center include Pearl Jam (Sept. 5 and 7); Eason Chan (Sept. 10); Aerosmith (Sept. 15); 50 Cent (Sept. 16); $uicideboy$ (Sept. 22); Peter Gabriel (Sept. 30); Mana (Oct. 1); Playboi Carti (Oct. 2); Wu-Tang Clan and Nas (Oct. 8); SZA (Oct. 10); Phish (Oct. 13-15); John Mayer (Oct. 18); Joji (Oct. 20); Enhypen (Oct. 22); Ms. Lauryn Hall & The Fugees (Oct. 28); Queen + Adam Lambert (Oct. 30-31); Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Ricky Martin (Nov. 1-2); Depeche Mode (Nov. 13) and Doja Cat (Dec. 13). For additional details, visit UnitedCenter.com.

Chicago Concert Reviews

We’ve got the Windy City covered.

England’s Arctic Monkeys drive “The Car” through United Center, “Look Good On The Dance Floor”

Related Articles