A song teased in bits and pieces for three years, with fans only ever catching fragments — until one night the band decided to play it start to finish. That's exactly what The Strokes did at Summer Sonic Tokyo. Headlining at ZOZO Marine Stadium in Chiba on August 14, they opened with "Lonely In The Future," marking the first time the song had ever been performed live with its complete arrangement.
Before this, "Lonely In The Future" had only ever appeared in improvised form, including a shortened rendition at South Korea's Pentaport Rock Festival in Incheon in August 2023. That version felt more like the band messing around onstage, with no fixed ending. This Tokyo show marked its first appearance as a "finished product," which fittingly became the opener for the full 18-song set.
"Lonely In The Future" is track three on "Reality Awaits," the album released last month that marks the band's first new material in six years since 2020's "The New Abnormal." NME gave the album four stars, writing that whether "slinging biting lyrics or venturing into strange, playful territory, a quarter-century into their career, The Strokes sound more energized and locked-in than they have in years."
That said, the Tokyo show didn't lean heavily on the new album — aside from the opener, only two more tracks from "Reality Awaits," "Going Shopping" and "Dine N'Dash," made the cut, with the rest of the set given over to classics like "Reptilia," "Last Nite," and "Someday." With the encore, the full set ran 17 songs. The complete setlist was: "Lonely In The Future," "Hard To Explain," "Going Shopping," "Juicebox," "Someday," "Dine N'Dash," "Take It Or Leave It," "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight," "Reptilia," "Threat Of Joy," "Bad Decisions," "Last Nite," "One Way Trigger," "What Ever Happened?," "The Adults Are Talking," with the encore consisting of "You Only Live Once," "Soma," and "Ode To The Mets."
Last weekend at Outside Lands, Charli XCX made a surprise appearance to duet with the band on "Take It Or Leave It." Her album "Music, Fashion, Film" dropped the same day as "Reality Awaits," with Julian Casablancas introducing her onstage as "the queen of album sales."
The Strokes continue on to Summer Sonic Osaka today (August 15). The "Reality Awaits" world tour will then head to the UK in October, with two nights booked at London's O2 Arena, plus dates in Newcastle and Manchester. Full tour dates and ticket details are available via official announcements.
