The Brokes Hold Nothing Back in Sleazy Showcase
On October 18th, The Strokes Were Transposed Terrifically at The Westcott Theater
Words by Sean Thomas Harrington / Graphic by Michael Loya
Sleaze indie channels a certain nostalgia for an epoch in rock history in which times were comparatively simple: a blissfully optimistic world of burgeoning technology, economic bubbles, and a slate of television sitcoms that can only be envied in the age of streaming. For a moment, being punk rock was cool again, and wearing a suit-and-tie to a late-night basement show was modus operandi – quite the combo indeed. On October 18th at the Westcott Theater, Canadian tribute act, The Brokes, asserted their passion for sleaze’s forerunners, The Strokes, to pack a two-set, two-hour raucous memoir to a truly historic band.
A crime would be committed had The Brokes not opened their act with a track from the Strokes’ debut album “Is This It,” and the band obliged with a strong cover of “Barely Legal.” With a sound assuredly intended to be true in its tribute, The Brokes were accurate to the original recordings, and from every intentional chord or beat, the band’s intent to study their subject material was palpable.
The Brokes, led by Casablancas-esque frontman Marlon Chaplin, are a tribute band in the most devotional fashion. Chaplin has long, matted hair that masks his eyes while on stage, and throughout the show, the vocalist paid homage to Julian Casablancas with signature growls on inflected notes, despondent verses, and a demeanor on stage that was unmistakably confident but reserved.
All the standards were covered in the performance: The Brokes’ versions of “Hard to Explain,” “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” “Last Nite,” “Bad Decisions,” and “Someday” showcased their diverse range of abilities to cover the similarly varied sounds of The Strokes’ six albums across two decades worth of material. As band members Brandon Wall, Dan Bedard, Adrian Traub-Rees, and Connor MacArthur played their own roles of Albert Hammond Jr., Nick Valensi, Nikolai Frature, and Fabrizio Moretti, the individuality of the instrumentalists became more apparent than in Chaplin’s case. While the guitar on “Is This It” or “Room on Fire” follow near reproductive similarity to the subject material, cuts like “Chances” used distortion elements that were markedly different from the album version, showcasing the band’s creative agency on the “Comedown Machine” track.
In between songs, the band was unafraid to interact with its audience, and in reaction to the persistent (but lighthearted) remarks and jeers of a certain crowd member, Chaplin and Traub-Rees showed their personality in jockeying right in step with this particularly vocal listener.
Being previously featured in the New York Times for their tribute act, The Brokes are without a doubt a success story in the universe of cover bands — touring in foreign nations (for the Canadian five-piece) is an undeniable achievement. Tribute concerts seek to achieve one of two goals: interpret, retool, or rework an existing song in a new way, or play the hell out of a classic. The Brokes opted for the latter strategy and assured satisfaction every stop along the way.