Photo Gallery: Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines D.C. at United Center • Chicago

Recap and photos by Curt Baran

Alex Turner was in full-on Elvis mode this Sunday at United Center. Fortunately, for all concerned parties, he was channeling the earliest version and not the bloated, coked-out, sequined model that would ultimately lead to the icon’s demise. It’s unusual because, as lead singer of his band Arctic Monkeys, the music he makes has very little in common aesthetically with The King.

Perhaps Turner recognizes that Presley is still an arbiter of cool, that he personified that “it” quality that transcends all time and space. Since their inception back in 2002, the band from Sheffield, England, has certainly done their fair share of shape-shifting. Their recent tour finds them looking both forward and back. Sunday evening’s set list was a travelogue of their musical history, with stops from their debut up through the latest release and multiple points in between. But let us digress back to the “hey, baby” vibe. You don’t survive in the music business for two-plus decades without great songs. But under Turner’s tutelage, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have royalty in your swagger, even when the goods you’re selling are already golden.