The Strokes played Coachella for the first time since 2011 on Saturday night, delivering a tight 15-song set heavy on early hits — and Julian Casablancas delivered exactly the kind of between-song commentary you’d expect from him.
The highlight quote came from bassist Nikolai Fraiture at the end of the set: “We fulfilled our lifelong dream of opening for Justin Bieber.” Casablancas had been riffing on the theme all night, joking that he was there for Bieber too and lamenting that The Strokes’ set time overlapped with PinkPantheress across the festival grounds.
But it wasn’t all jokes. Casablancas wore a t-shirt swapping the Amazon Prime logo with the word “Crime” and used the stage to address the Trump administration’s recent move toward automatic military draft registration for men aged 18 to 25. “You guys excited about the draft?” he asked the crowd. “Oh, wait, not the NFL draft.”
Musically, the band leaned into what they do best. The setlist pulled heavily from Is This It and Room on Fire, with “Someday,” “Last Nite,” “Reptilia,” and “Under Control” all making appearances. They also previewed their upcoming seventh album, Reality Awaits, by performing their new single “Going Shopping” — a track they’d already mailed to fans on cassette before debuting it at a San Francisco show earlier this month. The album, produced by Rick Rubin, is expected in June.
The performance felt like a homecoming more than a promotional stop. Reviews noted the band’s chemistry was sharp, and the energy in the crowd — even if some were camped out early for Bieber — matched the occasion.
The Strokes have a packed festival calendar ahead, with dates at Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Summer Sonic in Japan, and more. If Saturday was any indication, Reality Awaits has a strong live runway.
