arcade fire live (indoors) will blow your fucking mind.
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 2:52 am
the AF show in chicago on wed was the greatest show i ever saw, and i've seen my fair share of IMO mindblowing shows (wilco in kalamazoo being one). obviously, if you ever get a chance to see them, do everything in your power to make it happen. there are only a few bands i would pay top dollar to see: pearl jam, radiohead, rush, and add the AF to that list.
there were so many amazing moments to the show, it would take me all night to list them. but i'll mention the best:
* nine members of the band on stage at once (yep). and all of them except for the two violinists switched instruments at least three times. win baker played lead, bass, and piano. renee played keyboard, bells, and accordian. the guy who looks like napolean dynamite played rhythm, bass, and sometimes the single drum and cymbol. the drummer played a few other instruments as well.
* overall the following instruments were used at least once: lead, rhythm, drums, violin, accordian, keyboard, bells, tamborine, french horn, and stand up bass.
* they played everything from funeral except for une annee sans lumiere (which i love). they opened with a dylan teaser before wake up. they played bowie's "five years". they played haiti and renee sang it half in french, half in english. they played hood #1 before playing hood #3 into rebellion to finish the first set. no cars go and in the backseat was the encore. arguably the most pleasant part of the night was they all exited the stage at the end through the crowd and renee and win were high fiving fans on the way out.
* they are all very animated and emotional on stage. although i never saw PJ live back in the pre vitalogy days of eddie screaming his lungs out and climing the speakers on stage, AF reminded me of what that would have been like: leaving it all on stage, hiding no emotions, putting in the cliched 110%. everyone who was on the main floor was as beat as the band members after the show, not only because there was at least 150% percent capacity at the riv, and it was probably 110-degrees inside the place. i felt like i had just run a marathon in midday phoenix in my clothes.
* win yelled out "go 'spos!" before talking about how livan hernandez was pissed that only 1k people showed up to the 'spos final game in montreal. win followed that up by saying: "for christ sakes, people, take your kids to a baseball game!" which got a big applause from the crowd.
* win put some of the sickest distortion i have ever heard to the opening lead guitar chords to hood #1. it was amazing. just think of how the chords would have sounded if neil young was playing it, that's the best i can relate to it.
* the way they incorporate the accordian and violins into their music is breathtaking. i never would have thought in my entire life until i discovered the AF and saw them live that playing the violin could be so fucking cool and add soo much to rock and roll.
* best songs of the night were hood #1, hood #2 (your...mo...ther (pause......) SHOULD OF!!!!!), hood #3-->rebellion, no cars go, wake up, and of course, in the backseat, which took almost 10 minutes for them to complete, much of which was just the cooing of win and renee at the end with just a subtile guitar in the background while the crowd (amazingly) sat quite in respect until the final note.
sorry for the long post, but i know you liked the AF and it really was the best show i have ever seen. they will be around in your neck of the woods for sure, hopefully sometime soon. i'm working wmu hockey games again this year and i'm going to try to use my pull to get no cars go, rebellion, and hood #1 played during intermission at some games this year. talk about your epic shit.
there were so many amazing moments to the show, it would take me all night to list them. but i'll mention the best:
* nine members of the band on stage at once (yep). and all of them except for the two violinists switched instruments at least three times. win baker played lead, bass, and piano. renee played keyboard, bells, and accordian. the guy who looks like napolean dynamite played rhythm, bass, and sometimes the single drum and cymbol. the drummer played a few other instruments as well.
* overall the following instruments were used at least once: lead, rhythm, drums, violin, accordian, keyboard, bells, tamborine, french horn, and stand up bass.
* they played everything from funeral except for une annee sans lumiere (which i love). they opened with a dylan teaser before wake up. they played bowie's "five years". they played haiti and renee sang it half in french, half in english. they played hood #1 before playing hood #3 into rebellion to finish the first set. no cars go and in the backseat was the encore. arguably the most pleasant part of the night was they all exited the stage at the end through the crowd and renee and win were high fiving fans on the way out.
* they are all very animated and emotional on stage. although i never saw PJ live back in the pre vitalogy days of eddie screaming his lungs out and climing the speakers on stage, AF reminded me of what that would have been like: leaving it all on stage, hiding no emotions, putting in the cliched 110%. everyone who was on the main floor was as beat as the band members after the show, not only because there was at least 150% percent capacity at the riv, and it was probably 110-degrees inside the place. i felt like i had just run a marathon in midday phoenix in my clothes.
* win yelled out "go 'spos!" before talking about how livan hernandez was pissed that only 1k people showed up to the 'spos final game in montreal. win followed that up by saying: "for christ sakes, people, take your kids to a baseball game!" which got a big applause from the crowd.
* win put some of the sickest distortion i have ever heard to the opening lead guitar chords to hood #1. it was amazing. just think of how the chords would have sounded if neil young was playing it, that's the best i can relate to it.
* the way they incorporate the accordian and violins into their music is breathtaking. i never would have thought in my entire life until i discovered the AF and saw them live that playing the violin could be so fucking cool and add soo much to rock and roll.
* best songs of the night were hood #1, hood #2 (your...mo...ther (pause......) SHOULD OF!!!!!), hood #3-->rebellion, no cars go, wake up, and of course, in the backseat, which took almost 10 minutes for them to complete, much of which was just the cooing of win and renee at the end with just a subtile guitar in the background while the crowd (amazingly) sat quite in respect until the final note.
sorry for the long post, but i know you liked the AF and it really was the best show i have ever seen. they will be around in your neck of the woods for sure, hopefully sometime soon. i'm working wmu hockey games again this year and i'm going to try to use my pull to get no cars go, rebellion, and hood #1 played during intermission at some games this year. talk about your epic shit.