Calluna's Review of Radiohead at the White River Amphitheater
Sorry this is a couple days late but I had a wonderfully busy holiday weekend and this is the first chance I have had to sit down and write a review. I'm feeling very lucky because I got to see two great shows in a row. On Sunday night I saw Radiohead at the White River Amphitheater and on Monday I saw REM at the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle. I knew I would be tired at the end of it but I couldn't pass up this oppurtunity.
The White River Amphitheater is in a rural area outside of Auburn, Washington. It was a perfect summer day and the scenic drive set the mood for the evening to come with Mount Rainier looming large in front of us.
The arena itself was fairly intimate. I wasn't right up front but I still had a good view and my binoculars allowed me to get an even closer look. During Steve Malkmus and The Jicks set I had fun using my binoculars to watch the guitar tech for Radiohead tuning all the guitars on the side of the stage. I don't know how she manages to concentrate on guitar tuning when other music is being played at the same time. Between bands I watched the roadies set up Jonny's amazing synthesizer collection. He uses an i-book too.
It was an awesome show. My first time seeing Radiohead live. I was blown away by what an energetic live performance they put on. I got to witness Thom's mad dancing first hand and I have a newfound respect for Jonny's talented guitar playing. Now I really know why he is bear's hero.
Here is the setlist:
1. intro
2. There There
3. 2+2=5
4. Lucky
5. Myxomatosis
6. Where I End and You Begin
7. Backdrifts
8. Fake Plastic Trees
9. Paranoid Android
10. Sail to the Moon
11. You and Whose Army?
12. Dollars and Cents
13. Talk Show Host
14. Idioteque
15. Scatterbrain
16. The National Anthem
17. Exit Music (For a Film)
18. Sit Down Stand Up
Encore 1
1. We Suck Young Blood
2. A Punch up At a Wedding
3. Go to Sleep
4. How to Disappear Completely
Encore 2
1. No Surprises
2. Follow Me Around
3. Everything in its Right Place
Follow me Around was solo acoustic with Thom. That was very cool. Also I understand that Dollars and Cents hasn't been played live very often this time around. I particularly enjoyed Lucky and the way that Thom got all crazy for Myxamatosis. I got shivers at the end of Fake Plastic Trees when the whole crowd sang along. Sail to the Moon was absolutely beautiful. I went crazy during Sit Down Stand Up, jumping around and chanting "the raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops..."
Once again, Thom hammed it up for the fish-eye cam during You and Whose Army. I've heard this is a regular feature of the show and it should be because it is so hilarious. It was a big hit. You and your cronies. You forget so easy.
Thom spoke about the WTO riots that happened here in Seattle a few years back. He called the police 'jack-booted fascists' and said it was 'war on the hippies' and spoke out against large corporations. He said that there was going to be another WTO coming up this September in Mexico, I believe. He said to expect more of the same. The police pushing everyone up against the wall and saying "This is how we like to do it."
During Everything In It's Right Place, Jonny and Ed were sitting on the ground and at first I thought they were just taking a break but then I got a closer look with the binoculars and realized they were playing KAOSS pads while sitting on the floor. Even after they exited the stage the samples continued in a loop on the pads.
It took us two hours to get out of the parking lot after the show. That was a bit excessive but it was still worth it.
Here are a couple of photos. I didn't take them but they are from my show:
Thom plays Follow Me Around solo:
I've always wanted to hear that live *jealous*). 
