Just days prior to the August release of their most recent full-length, Humbug, the Arctic Monkeys walked on to the Lollaplooza’s Budweiser stage for what would be one of the most mystifying hours of live performance in recent memory. Gone were the clean cut indie rock princes that had first burst onto the scene in 2006 with the masterful Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. In their place were four shaggy haired gentlemen playing guitar riffs echoing somewhere in between Queens of the Stone Age and Led Zeppelin.

The audience, expecting to hear the band’s trademark rock bounce, responded with awkward enthusiasm. In turn, the band, eager to abandon that trademark rock bounce in favor of Humbug‘s grit, offered an equally awkward series of emotions, choosing to avoid audience interaction by hiding behind the rock sludge. When the band arrived to “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor”‘s required spot on the set list, the resulting performance sounded forced. By hour’s end on that hot August day, it was tough to determine what side could not most wait for the end — the audience or the band.

Exactly four months later, the Alex Turner-led outfit arrived at New York’s Terminal 5 for the first of two Big Apple performances in support of Humbug, and to to say the resulting 90 minute set was a complete 180 than what was seen and heard at Lollaplooza is perhaps the biggest understatement in recent memory. What unfolded at Terminal 5 on Thursday (Dec. 11th) was nothing short of masterful.

Essentially, somewhere between August and today, the Arctic Monkeys rediscovered themselves, finding a happy medium between the early days and their psychedelic Humbug transformation. Yes, Turner and Co. are as heavy and dirty as ever and yes, haircuts still appear to be a foreign concept. But rather than abandon their past, as they attempted to do just four months ago, the Monkeys have now embraced it — even having fun along the way.

In turn, the band’s audience appears to be as enthusiastic than ever. Humbug‘s “Pretty Visitor”, “My Propeller”, and “Crying Lightning” saw as much enthusiasm (and hipster fueled moshing) as old favorites like “Brianstorm”, “Florescent Adolescent”, and “This House is a Circus”. In fact, the only true “calm” point in the evening performance’s would be the set opener, “The Jeweller’s Hands”, which was really only setting the stage for the madness to come.

Particular highlights included “Still Take You Home” and a cover of Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand”. But the pinnacle of the set came in the back-to-back, rather enthusiastic performances of Whatever People Say I Am‘s “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” and “The View From The Afternoon”, the latter of which featured an improvised mid-section jam — remember when I said the band was having fun with its old material? One could also argue that a totally unexpected cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas” during “Florescent Adolescent” was quite the jaw-dropping of moments.

It is difficult to find any one flaw in the Arctic Monkeys’ Thursday night performance in Terminal 5. Vocally, Turner sounded as strong as ever. Musically, the band again proved it delivers one of the tightest live performances in all of music — in fact, if anyone spends even a short amount of time watching drummer Matt Helders, it becomes quite clear that Turner is no longer the most talented member of the band.

And in the end, when combined with a set heavy in both new and old, enthusiasm, an adoring crowd, and comfortability, one which sees the band not only confident in what it does but how it does it, the Arctic Monkeys have again found their footing. A footing that has allowed them to evolve into one of the most talented bands in all of music.

Setlist:
The Jeweller’s Hands
Brianstorm
This House is a Circus
Still Take You Home
Potion Approaching
Red Right Hand (Nick Cave)
My Propeller
Crying Lighting
Sketchead
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
The View From The Afternoon
Cornerstone
If You Were There
Pretty Visitors
Do Me a Favor
Florescent Adolescent

Encore:
Secret Door
505