I caught the first of Julian Casablancas’ New York reunion shows at Terminal 5 and frankly it was not what I expected. People love to hate on that venue (and I’ve certainly been to some lackluster shows there), and people love to hate on Julian (and the Strokes). So hopes were not high. Surprisingly, JC and the crowd brought The Love! Even got a generous pour from the bartenders. From my mid-floor spot there were no sullen guys with arms crossed, tweeny girls screaming, or bad vibes at all, really. Just some boogie down and whiskeytimes.

There’s been some mumbling about Julian trading east for the sunnier climes of los angeles where much of his new album was recorded. I imagine part of the appeal is freedom from the gristly jealousy that seems to dog him here. And the remains of an uber-band that hang off him like a phantom limb. In any case he seemed glad to be back, even ripping off Alicia Keys’ New York ditty, and the crowd mirrored his enthusiasm. By way of thanks he cracked, “You still got it!” Yes, indeed.