Strokes Set Off Fireworks for Fantastic Encore at SXSW Show

"Barbecue before was a bad choice," joked frontman Julian Casablancas during the Strokes' outdoor performance at South By Southwest.

But other than possible indigestion, the Austin environment seemed to agree with the New York City band.

On Thursday, the Strokes played a sundown set at Auditorium Shores supported by Luke Rathborne and Twin Shadow.

The free, all-ages concert was brimming with college students dressed in green for St. Patrick's Day, with some fans charging through the gates after the 20,000-capacity venue had reached its limit. However, the five-piece seemed unaware of any chaos on the ground level and kept a cool exterior during their high-profile gig.

The Strokes mined their decade-spanning catalogue during their 17-song set, focusing mainly on familiar standbys like 'Reptilia,' 'Juicebox,' 'Take It or Leave It,' 'The End Has No End' and 'New York City Cops.' They only offered a handful of new songs from their upcoming disc, 'Angles,' including 'Under Cover of Darkness' and 'Gratisfaction.'

Casablancas, decked in his standard leather jacket and sunglasses, kept the banter to a minimum as the stage lights dimmed after each of their New Wave-y hits.

Although the set was marred by sound issues, attendees were more than eager to fill in the gaps by singing along with the band.

The Strokes closed the evening with their breakthrough single 'Last Nite,' which launched a massive fireworks display that could be seen throughout the city of Austin.