This is the second of a 30-part series entitled “Sea.Hear.Now Artist Previews” — check out the other ones here, and the rest of our Sea.Hear.Now 2026 coverage here.
Overview
Few bands have had the kind of immediate, culture-shifting impact that The Strokes did in the early 2000s. With a sound that felt both retro but was still completely new, the New York City group helped revive garage rock and redefine what “cool” looked and sounded like for a new generation.
At Sea.Hear.Now, The Strokes will bring something a little different than the typical headliner that the festival has seen in years past.
Songs to Know
“Last Nite” — the band’s signature hit; one of the most recognizable riffs in indie rock.
“Someday” — a nostalgic track built for a crowd singalong.
“You Only Live Once” — a clean and punchy track that is endlessly replayable.
“The Adults Are Talking” — a standout track from the band’s Grammy-winning comeback era.
The Strokes’ Story
The Strokes formed in New York City in the late 1990s, made up of five musicians who seemed to arrive fully formed with a distinct look, sound, and identity. At a time when rock music was drifting toward heavier post-grunge and polished radio hits, The Strokes stripped everything back down.
Their debut album, “Is This It,” was raw, minimal, and very cool, quickly becoming one of the more influential records of the time.
The record, though, also sparked a movement of similar sound. Suddenly, guitar-driven indie rock centered itself back in music culture, and countless bands followed in their wake. Songs like “Last Nite” and “Someday” captured a kind of detached, late-night energy that defined the early 2000s, especially in places like New York and the tri-state.
As the band moved into the mid-2000s, albums like “Room on Fire” and “First Impressions of Earth” expanded their sound while maintaining a similar core identity. But like many bands that rise quickly, The Strokes hit a period of internal tension and creative slowdown.
Eventually, though, the band returned with new material, culminating in 2020’s “The New Abnormal.” The album was both a critical and commercial success, earning them a Grammy and reestablishing their relevance nearly two decades after their debut. It showed a band willing to evolve to a more polished and reflective sound.
In concert, the band isn’t quite about perfection like they were in the aforementioned album. The band performs loose and sometimes unpredictable, but still put on a good show that gets the crowd involved. At a festival like Sea.Hear.Now, the rawness is a good thing and stands out. Surrounded by polished acts on the bill, The Strokes bring a little bit of a unique sound to the beach, which will be a great way to close out the weekend.
Garden State Connection
As a New York City-based band, The Strokes have had a natural connection to the tri-state area for as long as they’ve been a band. This show, however, will only be the band’s second in the Garden State in the past two decades, and the first since they opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2022 at MetLife Stadium. This will be the band’s first headlining show in New Jersey since 2006, where they headlined the Borgata Event Center in Atlantic City.
Past shows in New Jersey:
- 2022: MetLife Stadium with Red Hot Chili Peppers
- 2006: Borgata Event Center in Atlantic City
- 2004: Tweeter Center in Camden
- 2001: The Stone Pony in Asbury Park
- 2001: Maxwell’s in Hoboken
- 2000: WFMU Studios in Jersey City
NJ Music Festivals 