Concert Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Live! in Singapore 2010

Fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs know they are in for an exceedingly good time whenever they attend one of the trio's gigs. Their maiden concert in Singapore last Tuesday was no exception. The Esplanade Concert Hall morphed into a giant party where people let their hair down and danced with wild abandon.

Karen O, possibly the most charismatic and prolific frontwoman of any rock band today, tore the house down. The sold-out crowd worshipped her like a goddess, lapping up all her antics -- swallowing the microphone, spewing water, doing her spitfire act -- eagerly. Axe man Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase played their instruments with finesse. The three of them, as different as chalk and cheese, worked magically well together.

The band preferred to let their music speak for itself. From the get-go, they raced through the catalogue of songs from their studio albums and EPs, with O peppering her speeches with the occasional "Singapore!" and "I wanna see some clapping!" There was barely any time to breathe.

Giant eyeball balloons floated into the crowd midway during "Zero".

"Cheated Hearts" saw Karen O happily sharing her microphone with the first row of adoring fans, who cooed the refrain 'whoo-ooo-ooo-ooh' joyously.

The acoustic version of "Maps" was the show stealer of the night. When she sang "Wait / They don't love you like I love you", the hearts in the crowd melted.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Live!
Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Setlist:
1. Runaway
2. Phenomena
3. Pin
4. Black Tongue
5. Dull Life
6. Zero
7. Miles Away
8. Heads Will Roll
9. Skeletons
10. Hysteric
11. Gold Lion
12. Cheated Hearts
13. Y Control

Encore:
14. Maps (Acoustic)
15. Turn Into
16. Date With The Night