Tokyo Police Club Bids Farewell to St. Louis
st. louis, mo - november 5, 2024
After almost two decades of influencing the indie rock scene, Tokyo Police Club nears the end of THE FINAL TOUR. Fans gathered at The Pageant in St. Louis to celebrate the music and the memories they’ve made, and to say goodbye to a band they’ve grown with over the years.
Menno Versteeg took the stage as the opener of the evening, providing an intimate, entertaining set. Between each song, he stopped to tell a story—an anecdote from the tour or the backstory to the upcoming song—making the audience laugh, smile, and put their rising nerves at ease. Versteeg closed by playing a studio recording from his album as the members of Tokyo Police Club rushed the stage to dance with him, and just like that the adrenaline was back.
The band took the stage with “Favourite Food” as the crowd erupted into cheers, taking in their first glimpse of the evening. They didn’t hold back from singing along to the music and taking up space on the dance floor, their enthusiasm reaching an all-time high—that was, until they heard the words, “Buckle up, we’re going straight back to 2007.” The setlist from here was a string of indie anthems from their debut studio album ‘Elephant Shell,’ just what the St. Louis fans needed to kick the night up a notch.
There was a certain level of anticipation knowing that this was the last time the audience would be seeing TPC in their city. It was a bittersweet feeling—reflecting on the last two decades, where they were when they heard their first song from the band. “Everyone has their own journey with the music,” said lead vocalist Dave Monks. He, himself, was reflecting on where they started. From starting fresh out of high school to playing Glastonbury, David Letterman Show, and Coachella to touring with Weezer, and everything beyond. There were many opportunities to discover their music over the years, but no matter when fans joined the journey, Monks made a point to show everyone the connection they have. “If you look around you tonight, I think you’ll see a bunch of other TPC nerds, which I think is very cool.”
As the setlist came to “Hands Reversed,” the band made space for the audience to release their energy and feel what they needed to feel in these final moments with TPC. A wave of soft nostalgia filled the room. One thing to note about this show was the sense of gratitude throughout the venue, both from the crowd and from Tokyo Police Club. This was more than a farewell, this was a celebration, a ‘thank you.’ Fans soaked up the set, from hit singles to fan favorites to their most influential tunes. They cheered for every big moment, hushed each time a member started to speak, giving every little aspect of this show their full attention.
The back half of the set seemed to be the most thrilling for the audience. “Citizens of Tomorrow” encouraged everybody in the building to clap along to the beat. “Tessellate” amped up the energy for the following encore. Closing song, “Your English is Good,” was a powerful ending to almost twenty years of impactful music. Although the final bow was bittersweet, it came following a night of joy. Tokyo Police Club came to St. Louis to celebrate their influence on indie rock music but left with so much more. The bond created on that stage will undeniably last a lifetime.
