Photo: Winter/ImageDirect (Strokes), Allan/WireImage (Libertines)
The announcement that the Libertines are reforming for U.K. gigs this summer got us thinking: is the world already nostalgic for the music of the 2000s? We realize we’re not even four months into this new decade, but the evidence seems to be there — especially when you consider that the Strokes are also returning for big shows this summer. “Should I say the truth [about why we're playing gigs?],” Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas said to ABC recently. “Money. The offers were so crazy that we had to say yes.” It’s been over four years since the Strokes released a single new song, but Brits are clearly eager to relive that magical summer of 2001 — and are shelling out the big bucks to make it happen.
Carl Barat of the Libertines has made clear their reunion is going to be an unabashedly nostalgic event. “We’re going to play songs which have been collecting dust in the garage,” he told NME. “People want to hear them, so we’re going to give them a run.” Nostalgia for the early 2000s may seem premature, but it fits in with historical trends. In 1970, just five years after their peak, the Beach Boys were struggling to fill theaters. To hippies they seemed like squares from another era, but by 1974, arenas were packed with people eager to go back to “Surf City.” The biggest tours that year were shameless 1960s nostalgia shows: Bob Dylan with the Band, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The college freshman of 1965 were now in their late 20s and ready to look back.
Who else will benefit from the burgeoning nostalgia? Will Afroman score a new hit? Might Crazy Town finally follow up “Butterfly?” Are we ready for the Darkness to return?
...Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily