Arcade Fire
Opening acts: The Gossips and LCD Soundsystem
Seattle, Washington
Hec Edmundson Arena, University of Washington (basketball arena)
9/24/2007
Wow, what a performance! Arcade Fire put on one helluva show tonight. Spirit was in the house!
Setlist, as best as I can tell from my notes scribbled in the darkened arena:
1. Black Mirror
2. Keep The Car Running
3. Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
4. No Cars Go
5. Haiti
6. A new song that we didn't recognize, with Regina taking the lead
7. Neon Bible (short version)
8. Black Waves/Bad Vibrations
9. Intervention
10. (Antichrist Television Blues)
11. Well & The Lighthouse
12. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
13. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
14. Rebellion (Lies)
Encore:
15. Headlights Look Like Diamonds (from the EP)
16. Wake Up
(Did I forget a song before Wake Up?)
So I got there a little bit after 7, and The Gossips, a 3-piece band, came out on stage and started chatting with the crowd (I didn't know who the heck it was talking to us, some woman, I thought she was just making announcements) and then launched into their set. I'd never heard of them and didn't even realize they were on the ticket. Corianderstem arrived a few songs into their short set. The band wasn't bad, but I won't rush out to buy their CDs either.
LCD Soundsystem was next. I'd read last week in the Seattle P-I that Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem are huge fans of each other. LCD put on a good set, with a few songs I knew, a few songs I didn't. One or two of the songs were boring, but overall I was impressed. A few songs in, Win, Regine and one other member of Arcade Fire came out and helped out on North American Scum (Win played the drums and sang backup). LCD also played All My Friends, Someone Great, and a song that I'd have to call Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (that song was pretty redundant). They closed with New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down.
This was my first time seeing Arcade Fire live, and it was a total thrill. I like U2 better historically, but Arcade Fire is my favorite band of the moment, and it's such a treat to see them perform at this early stage of their career. I love how much passion they put into their performance -- they really bring it. I can only imagine how big they'll be five or 10 years from now.
No Cars Go is my favorite song, and it was visually stunning. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but the wall behind the band was turned into a giant screen with black and white images of what seemed like zombie-like faces in a movie theater or other some audience setting, hands covering their cheeks with a terrified look in their eyes. Well, it was much like this YouTube video of the song from Europe this summer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjo6dh36lk0
At the end of Antichrist, Win and Regine both ended up in the crowd. Nice touch. During Well & The Lighthouse, the screen showed a closeup of Regine banging happily away on the drums -- I liked that shot.
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) transitioning into Rebellion (Lies) was perhaps the highlight of the set -- a very high-energy performance. The crowd went nuts. Near the end of Rebellion, one of the percussionists grabbed a medium-sized drum and climbed halfway up the lighting scaffolding, drumming along the way, to the delight of the crowd. And of course Wake Up was amazing.
Cori said I should mention that she was dancing waving her arms around like an idiot, but in fact she dances really well and with a ton of enthusiasm! Unfortunately, I dance like a white guy. <grin> But I had a lot of fun too.
I think Arcade Fire played from around 9:30 or 9:40 to 11:00 or 11:10.
I wish they'd played Windowsill and My Body Is A Cage, two of my other favorites, but I went away very pleased with the show. My ears are still ringing. I hope I have full hearing tomorrow. <wink>
