Arctic Monkeys played two sold out shows at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY over September 8-9, as part of their ongoing North American tour. The second evening at Forest Hills Stadium coincided with the tenth anniversary of their self-titled album, and marked their return to Forest Hills Stadium after last playing there in 2018.
Beloved post-punk outfit Fontaines DC opened for Arctic Monkeys both nights. They played powerful hard-hitting sets, warming up the crowd before the Arctic Monkeys took the stage.
On the second night, legendary poet John Cooper Clarke introduced the band with his spoken word poem “I Wanna Be Yours,” which the band had covered in their self-titled album.
After taking the stage to rapturous applause, Arctic Monkeys started the second evening’s set with the opening track on their self-titled record, “Do I Wanna Know.”
Fans of all ages seemed to know the words to every song, occasionally even singing the guitar melodies along with the band.
The setlist featured many of the band’s most iconic tracks from their catalog, including “Brianstorm,” “Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High,” and “Fluorescent Adolescent.” At the end of “There Better Be a Mirrorball” from their latest record, a large disco ball descended from above, bearing the singular word “Monkeys” on both sides. They immediately launched into “505” and the mirrorball lit up, spreading dots of glowing white light throughout the stadium and its 13,000 fans. This induced a seemingly-involuntary cheer among the audience, who lost themselves in the moment that was certainly a highlight from the show.
For their encore, the band returned to the stage to play their cover of John Cooper Clarke’s “I Wanna Be Yours,” and closed their sold out two-night run with “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” and “R U Mine?” (which they started with the opening chords to The Strokes’ “Last Nite”).
Arctic Monkeys North American tour with Fontaines DC continues, and you can check out their upcoming tour dates here and stream their music here. And if you like the Monkeys, you should definitely listen to Fontaines DC’s catalog here.
Check out our full gallery below, with photography by David Reichmann.
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