Arcade Fire @MSG, Aug. 4th

I've been up for 22 hours, so operating on fumes now, but even as I put together this entry, I'm IMing with an old concert buddy, Rad, recapping tonight's Arcade Fire at Madison Square Garden show. My expectations were not the highest, as their latest album, The Suburbs, has yet to grow on me, since I haven't had it for that long, and well, not much measures up to the amazing Funeral, which I still listen to on a semi-weekly basis. But once the openers and their instruments cleared the stage, and the roadies began setting up Arcade Fire's gear -- I think there were no less than seven monitors across the front of the stage, two sets of drums, a bunch of keyboards and a piano -- I began to get really excited. I was reminded of the other times I had seen this expansive band and loved the energy that I felt from them and the crowd, which has grown successively larger with each venue they play. And here they were, about to play the biggest gig in the city for two nights in a row.

(More words and pics, including a setlist, after the jump.)

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Arcade Fire @Radio City Music Hall, May 9th

Apparently, Monday was not enough.

I was lucky enough to pick up a great single yesterday on Ticketbastard -- exactly one row behind where I sat for Björk one week ago. Radio City Music Hall, while less intimate, has superior acoustics, and the larger crowd supplied the energy.

I love how, much like in a play, the musicians in Arcade Fire who are not Win and Regine manage to infuse their own personalities and presence into the overall performance. Watch some of the guys in "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" -- friggin' hysterical!

Happily, they closed out their magical 3 night run with "Wake Up":


Even the National sounded fantastic -- I could actually hear the vocals tonight. Here's a song from their last album, Alligator, called "Mr. November":


And now the magic's all done. *Sigh!*

Arcade Fire @United Palace, May 7th

Over two years ago at Webster Hall, I received my first communion with Arcade Fire. Since that night, I have trod a path filled with many nights of good and not so good music. Tonight, my faith in exemplary live music was restored. Tonight, at Reverend Ike's United Palace, we got the gospel according to Win Butler, Regine Chassagne & Co. as they played to a crowd that made little use of their assigned seats. People streamed down the aisles hoping to catch a better glimpse of the mighty little Canadian ensemble that could bring one to tears. Many were willing to sell their souls for an opportunity to hear the electrifying Arcade Fire, and the band did not disappoint.


For about ninety minutes, we bore witness to music that made us rise to our feet and stomp and clap in unison. We sang along and made the air buzz with a joy that is rarely felt at concerts. We loved the new songs from Neon Bible but devoured the stuff from Funeral. When Win jumped into the crowd for "Rebellion (Lies)" as seen below, if he had walked straight down the center aisle and out the doors of the theatre, he could have easily had a few thousand people following him through the streets of Washington Heights.

So friggin' awesome! I am inspired to search for tickets to Wednesday's show at Radio City now.

PS -- Spotted Martha Plimpton of Goonies fame sitting about 5 rows behind me. Thrilling!