Before playing the mainroom, drummer David Prowse of Japandroids stopped by The Current to curate a playlist and take over our airwaves with a Theft of the Dial, but not before gushing about First Avenue.

"It's pretty wild walking into First Avenue thinking about all the amazing shows that happened there," said Prowse. "I remember playing the 7th St. Entry and thinking like, 'This is where Husker Du and the Replacements played 50 million times.'"

If the playlist Prowse put together had a theme, he says it reflects the "spirit of the times; it's all a little bit dystopian." Operators — led by fellow Canadian Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs and Divine Fits — set the tone with "Evil."

Dead Moon and X are punk rock bands that Japandroids have long admired. Prowse and King have covered X's "Sex and Dying and High Society" in the past, and they are currently working on Dead Moon's "Fire in the Western World" for their live show.

The second set begins with Patti Smith's "Break It Up" off Horses, which Prowse calls a masterpiece, then meanders to Total Control, an obscure Australian outfit. "It's almost like Kraftwerk but a little less robotic and a little more human in a really cool way," said Prowse.

Closing the six-song takeover is David Campbell's "Sky-Man and the Moon," a track off a compilation featuring indigenous folk and rock artists from the '60s, '70s and '80s. "It's a powerful document shining a light on a sector of people who are largely ignored in North America," said Prowse.

The title track off Near to the Wild Heart of Life and "Arc of Bar" — a subtle nod to a Toronto bar (shoutout to Jamal!) — bookend Japandroids' Theft of the Dial. They also represent a foil of songwriting strategies. While "Near to the Wild Heart of Life" feels like a natural progression from previous albums Celebration Rock and Post-Nothing, "Arc of Bar" is the song that King and Prowse feel most proud of, mostly because they surprised themselves writing a song based on lyrics alone.

Theft of the Dial: Japandroids Playlist

Japandroids - "Near to the Wild Heart of Life"
Operators - "Evil"
Dead Moon - "Fire in the Western World"
X - "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts"
Patti Smith - "Break It Up"
David Campbell - "Sky-Man and the Moon"
Total Control - "Glass"
Japandroids - "Arc of Bar"