While waiting for TV On The Radio to hit the stage at the Metro on Monday night, I struck up a conversation with a few fans hugging the rail.
They’d been waiting for hours, inching their way closer to the stage, but all for good reason: “TVOTR is the only relevant modern rock band,” one said. He continued, “I listen to classic rock, punk, and TV On The Radio. That’s it.” This is a small example of the cult following that TVOTR has acquired over their 14-year career. And, yeah, they totally deserve the love.
Following the sudden and tragic loss of bassist and keyboardist Gerard Smith in 2011 to lung cancer, the future of TV On The Radio was uncertain. The remaining members of the band took a hiatus to grieve and do individual projects, so when they announced the release of a new album, Seeds, in 2014, fans exhaled one, big sigh of relief. Their subsequent tour announcement was icing on the cake.
I’ve never seen the Metro more crowded and the fans more enchanted than on Monday night. On stage and in the studio, TVOTR has proven themselves to be so many things all at once—punk, pop, soul, rock, funk, and more. They are innovators, true artists, and must-see performers. So do so.
