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Strokes of genius at the Pavilion

From the minute they began receiving heavy airplay, The Strokes have been hailed as the second coming.

Since the release of their first full-length album, Is This It, these posh, private-school, pretty-boy New Yorkers effectively twisted the industry in a completely different direction, a transformation which had been building for years. It’s not as though the Britneys and Avrils have disappeared, but with a wave of nü-garage rock, things have clearly changed. And now the rockers are gracing the FleetBoston Pavilion with their presence. What can one expect from a band like this?

Nothing short of pure rock ‘n’ roll, that’s for sure.

There’s no question that the quintet have been extraordinarily hyped. But the issue isn’t really whether they’re rich boys slumming it or just a bunch of guys who enjoy floppy, unwashed hair and Converse All-Stars. The fact is, the Strokes are one of the best bands to have come out of a scene that is now wildly attempting to mimic what they began.

The Strokes are frantic, sweaty rock that you dance to in basements packed with people-basements that smell like a comforting jumble of beer, cologne, and perfume. They are the garage where Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo hung his KISS posters. Their music is sexy, stylish and nonchalantly provoking-vocalist Julian Casablancas practically wraps you around his finger like a skein of silk. Their songs aim to please in a fantastically couth manner-focusing on the tried and true themes of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. The Strokes are the epitome of a dessert oasis.

It doesn’t hurt that they happen to be brilliant songwriters. Plus, at the mean age of 21, with a wardrobe full of hip clothing and open drinking habits, they manage to project the image of ideal rock stars. What’s more, right now, the Strokes are the perfected definition of cool. They know it. And they don’t mind flaunting it, either.

From the looks of it, The Strokes have it all together. Is This It washed over bubble-gum pop like a tidal wave, and a new album is already in the works, and the band is completing a headlining tour and sparking a whole new movement in rock and roll. Bands like Australia’s Vines and Sweden’s Hives have been thrown into the mainstream spotlight in record time.

Is This It is that good of an album, and the Strokes are that good of a band. Predictably enough, past live shows, which are arguably the best means of sampling their music, have proven to be as explosively and feverishly paced as their climb up the charts. Perhaps it’s simply an accepted fact that no more–and no less–can be expected of them this time around.

The Strokes arrive at the FleetBoston Pavilion on Wednesday October 2. Call ticketmaster or log onto www.ticketmaster.com.

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