Puke or play? That seemed to be the question haunting Strokes’ front man Julian Casablancas as the NYC-based band played Lowell’s Paul E. Tsongas Arena Halloween night. Soaking the stage with what one can only assume to be alcohol-induced excess saliva, Casablancas performed for a crowd consisting predominantly of maniacal sixteen-year-old girls that would’ve no doubt licked it up if offered the opportunity. Despite the underage audience and the contrived mustache and jacket adjustment of Caleb Fallowill of opening, critically hyped band Kings of Leon, the Strokes proved once again that they are one of the best live acts around.

Following forty minutes of the painful piano stylings of a recorded Regina Spektor, who had been scheduled to open but fortunately lost her voice thanks to a case of what Casablancas diagnosed as “trying to be one of the boys,” the Strokes emerged to shrieks of relief. The band opened with “What Ever Happened?” the first track on their recently released second LP Room On Fire. They continued mixing tracks from Room like “Reptilia,” “12:51,” and “The End Has No End” with staples from their debut album, Is This It?

Guitarist Nick Velensi’s cigarette bobbed incessantly under his mangy tresses as he hammered through “Reptilia.” Bassist Nikolai Fraiture didn’t appear to move or breathe, never mind break a sweat, throughout the entire set. Albert Hammond Jr.’s feverish guitar style was so engaging that even teenage girls wearing self-made “I love Julian” t-shirts were forced to take notice. Drummer Fabrizio Moretti pounded through the fan favorite “New York City Cops” and stopped smiling only when flipping off Casablancas for suggesting that “Last Night,” the Strokes’ best-known single, was his favorite. Although obviously in an altered state, Casablancas’ vocals didn’t suffer as he belted his way through “Under Control” and “Soma.” He was talkative between songs, uttering as many as one or two sentences and deeming the crowd “great and pretty.” During “Sometimes” Casablancas temporarily lost track of the microphone he gripped so tightly most of the set, recovering it quickly and smiling sheepishly, turning the incident into comic relief before it became a detriment to the show.

The highlight of the band’s performance was their last song, “Take It Or Leave It,” as it is their custom to close with the high-energy track, which ignited the arena. To the displeasure of Tsongas Arena security, Casablancas unsuccessfully tried to balance himself on the gate that separated band from crowd and either fell, dove or was pulled in. The band continued to play as he was groped and pulled and the arena erupted. After ten minutes of fishing, security managed to dig Julian out of the arms of the masses and the band headed off stage.

Seeing the Strokes live is an experience in and of itself. Their infectious riffs and the simplicity of the music draw the listener in and their unique stage presence holds you there. In an industry infected with pretensions and packaging, the Strokes, in the raw honesty of their music and performance, are a desperately needed breath of fresh air.