Arcade Fire Neon Bible Tour Part III

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annie_vox said:
^^ Lucky, lucky you are all so lucky:( I hope you have a great time by the way;)

The show was FANTASTIC :drool:

It's true Win urged the crowd to come up on the stage during Wake Up. Security wasn't thrilled but everyone was very cool and looked like they were having a great time. I was way the hell up in the balcony, so it was a bit hard to see Win, but he was right in there singing with the crowd.

Regine is amazing, I had no idea she was so multi talented!

Power Out > Intervention was unbeleivable. The crowd continued to sing all through the enore break, then the band came on stage and re-ended the song (does that make sense?)


Great show, can't wait til they swing by again!
 
:shocked: I like how Richard goes to the top level to get some space and avoid injuring people. They really need to play Wake Up in every show.
 
Turns out the fine editors here at Interference decided not to publish my show review. It's perfectly understandable. The style of the review is a bit unorthodox, and not in keeping with Interference's standard review style. But I still wanted to share it, would be a shame to go to waste. So, here you go, complete with shitty Camera Phone pics right from the second row. :D
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Arcade Fire at DAR Constitution Hall - Washington, D.C. – 5/04/07
Review by Lance McCallion

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Go it alone…

There’s something bizarrely comforting about going to a concert alone. It’s always a blast to go to an anticipated show with several close friends who also appreciate the artist as you do, but going solo brings it’s own sort of fun. First of all, you get a better seat as a result of searching for only one ticket. I ended up with a third row isle seat at last night’s show. That rocks. But there’s also the freedom of introspection that one doesn’t have so much room for when going in a party.

Truth be told, I had no desire to see this concert in the weeks preceding it. I’m just finishing my freshman year of college, and this past semester has been inarguably the worst time of my life. I’m now entering the fourth month of a severe depression, and my academic future is uncertain. On top of that, I just haven’t been finding too much pleasure in the things that usually provide (like say… music? Yeah, you see where this is going).

So when the time came yesterday to get ready and leave for the show, I almost had to will myself to go. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been looking forward to seeing the Arcade Fire since I listened in awe to Funeral for the first time all those years ago. Neon Bible came and went, and I drooled over it for a long while before moving on to other musical obsessions. But for a variety of reasons, I just wasn’t feeling it yesterday. It might have to do with the fact that at the time I had only gotten about 14 hours of sleep combined in the previous three days. Or it might have had to do with the fact that I had seen Spiderman 3 the previous night, a movie I’ve been eagerly anticipating for about two years, and either way you spin it, was ultimately a disappointing film. Or just maybe it had to do with the fact that I had an 8:30 final exam to take only mere hours after returning from my midnight extravo-spidey-ganza.

I was running on fumes. Fumes that had already run themselves through my engine several times over and were little more than dank air molecules by now. But despite my dire condition, I knew that I would regret not going to the show. I also knew it would be a fantastic show. I was prepared to have a good time, even if I passed out from exhaustion half way through. I was most certainly not prepared to partake in the single greatest musical experience of my life.

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The National Anthem

DAR Constitution Hall is a fantastic venue. This was my first show there, and my seat was perfect. I could not have chosen a better building to showcase the orchestral indie rock antics of Butler and Company. Unusually punctual, (I always arrive way too early for these things) I found my seat just as the warm up act The Nation took the stage.

Let me preface by saying that I’ve seen a lot of shows since I starting going to concerts a couple years ago. I’ve seen a lot of great acts, many of which are true legends. In turn, I have also seen my fair share of abysmal opening acts. Sometimes I almost feel like some openers are hired just to make the headliner that much more appreciated by the audience. Needless to say, I was slightly worried about The National, even though I’ve heard only great things (gee, I remember hearing great things about Gnarles Barkley too, and look how that turned out) and actually quite like their newest album Boxer.

After their first song all my worries were unfounded. This is a great band. By the third song, I was rocking in my seat humming alone to the intricately crafted melodies like I’ve known the band my entire life. But the end of their set I sort of wished they had time for a full headlining performance. And a funny highlight came when the lead singer, Matt Berninger, announced “Fake Empire” off the new album and it received a fair applause. Berninger said “Thanks for downloading our new album before it came out.” I could almost feel the tension in the air, as I am one of those guilty of downloading the leak. Relief came quickly though when he followed up with a kind “Nah, it’s cool,” to which an audience member replied “Don’t worry man, we’re all going to buy it anyway”. Well, I certainly will. This band deserved my money.

Maybe not as much as Arcade Fire does though. When the house lights go down before right before the headliner comes on, there’s always that immediate feeling of uncorrupted joy. You know you’re in for a treat, and boy was I. You can check out the setlist at the bottom of the review, but I’m not going to run chronologically through the whole set like some reviews tend to do. I feel that would be a disservice Arcade Fire’s mysterious ability to turn the venue from just a theater into something more akin to a bunch of friends drunk off their ass jumping around a room having the time of their life. Any worries, concerns, greater life-meaning ponderings I had before this band came on stage instantly blinked from my mind. I honestly don’t know how they do it. But when this band performs, they aren’t just putting on a show. It’s like they’ve invited the entire audience into Win Butler’s living room to rock out together to your personal favorite rock album… and everyone loves it just as much as you.

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Soon we will reclaim the earth.

Really, any attempt to review this concert like I would an album or a film would be in vain. I can’t break it down in to separate categories and give it a rating. I can’t comment on particular individuals’ performances or its successes versus its failures. It wasn’t a perfect show. But that’s not what the Arcade Fire strives for. In actuality, you probably shouldn’t even bother reading this review, because I’m not telling you anything you could understand without actually attending a show. But I suspect if you’ve read this far, you are already dead set on seeing an Arcade Fire show or have done so already. And if that’s the case, you already have at least some idea what I’m talking about. Right? Mmhmm.

Like I said, I can’t really comment too much on specific parts of the concert. Check out the setlist. Each song was as awesome as you think it would be if not better. There was not a single weak moment during the entire 75-minute performance. If you want to read about Win’s voice, or the stage design, or setlist critiques, or room acoustics, then look somewhere else. None of that matters. What does matter, and what I’m desperately trying to emphasize and failing at doing so, is the effect this band can have on the individual. In the process of breaking down any bounds that naturally exist between complete strangers gathered in a public venue, the experience also erodes the boundaries within your own psyche and soul. When I was in the show last night (nobody there was merely watching the show) I wasn’t thinking about that term paper due in two weeks, or how that kid 2 doors down thinks he’s such a badass guitar-player when he is in fact completely mediocre. There wasn’t a single mental break from what was happening in that room unless it was the slightest recognition of a great photo op so I’d pull out my camera phone.

The one aspect of the performance that I would like to single out actually has very little to do with the music. I’m merely taking advantage of this review to comment on my own personal obsessions. At one point during the band’s spectacular performance of “Haiti” I fell in love with Régine Chassagne. I mean, not really in love of course, but more in a damn-she’s-so-amazing-I-would-totally-move-to-Canada-to-take-her-out-if-she-wasn’t-11-years-older-than-me-and-married-to-Win-Butler sort of way. It was just something about her dazzling stage presence, her voice, her unbelievably cute-yet-sensual dancing that just had me completely enamored.

Predictably after that song I rarely focused on any other member of the band. Even when she was drumming during “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)”, I was staring at the awesome live video projection of her onto the red velvet curtains behind the band. Then during “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” she danced over to the empty part of the stage right in front of me, and I started waving my arms like a madman mouthing “I Love You!” repeatedly. And, for one moment, I’m fairly certain she looked right back at me and smiled. Well, that pretty much made my year.

Ultimately, I’m still sort of stunned from the whole event. In a matter of minutes my week went from being utterly awful to out-of-this-world spectacular. There is obviously a very real reason why the Arcade Fire is so damn popular in the Indie world, and moreso every day in the mainstream. In the weeks before Neon Bible came out that I spent listening to the sub-par quality leak over and over again, I predicted that this band would be the next great thing to happen in music. After last night, I’m sure of it. But even if they don’t, I still owe them so much. They inspired me in a way I never thought possible during the darkest part of my life.

Several times during the show, Win told us he’d “see us soon”. I’m pretty sure another North American tour is on the agenda. I’ll be the first in line for tickets should they come back in the fall. This band gave a performance that outmatched even my third row GA U2 experience in 2005. That’s got to count for something. And one of these days maybe I’ll get to meet Régine in person and thank her… maybe even ask for a hug? Maybe? Ok, well, I’ll see about that next time.

Setlist

Black Mirror
No Cars Go
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
Haiti
Black Wave/ Bad Vibrations
Neon Bible
Windowsill
The Well and the Lighthouse
Ocean of Noise
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
Keep The Car Running
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Intervention
Wake Up
 
Didn't use it because it was too centered on me personally and not the band. I thought it was more important to stress the affect the show had on me though than the basic pros/cons of the performance. I think my review is a stronger testament to the power of the show than a standard Interference-style review would be.

And thanks for the support. :)
 
Lancemc said:

Several times during the show, Win told us he’d “see us soon”. I’m pretty sure another North American tour is on the agenda. I’ll be the first in line for tickets should they come back in the fall.

Fall would be great. I wonder if they'll play the same cities and venues, or visit other cities and/or play larger venues next time.
 
Oh well I guess I'll have to go ahead and turn in an article about Sunday's show in Montréal now :lol:
 
Lancemc said:
Didn't use it because it was too centered on me personally and not the band. I thought it was more important to stress the affect the show had on me though than the basic pros/cons of the performance. I think my review is a stronger testament to the power of the show than a standard Interference-style review would be.

And thanks for the support. :)


Your review is refreshingly different and honest...that's a good thing :up:

I'll certainly take a North American Fall tour, and hope for dates this way in Eastern Canada :drool:
 
ntalwar said:


Fall would be great. I wonder if they'll play the same cities and venues, or visit other cities and/or play larger venues next time.

If they come to Orlando, I might shit Champ's chocolate squirrel.
 
If they don't come around to Seattle on their next round, I am going to cry very, very hard.

I'm so insanely jealous of all youse guys who got to (or are getting to) see them. :(
 
corianderstem said:
If they don't come around to Seattle on their next round, I am going to cry very, very hard.

The play Vancouver on May 24th, but I'm sure they'll get to Seattle eventually. I got a sense of bigger things to come from them at the show, and the demand is definitely there.
 
ntalwar said:
The play Vancouver on May 24th, but I'm sure they'll get to Seattle eventually. I got a sense of bigger things to come from them at the show, and the demand is definitely there.

I missed seeing the Vancouver date. I had been checking to see if more tickets would be released for Portland, but no such luck yet. And they're playing at the Gorge at a festival, but I don't care for festivals. I can't go three hours away, over the mountains to a venue where I'll have to camp, just for one band.

I'm sure they'll swing through Seattle again eventually. I'm holding out hope for more dates added later in the year.
 
corianderstem said:


I missed seeing the Vancouver date. I had been checking to see if more tickets would be released for Portland, but no such luck yet.

Vancouver (Burnaby) is in two weeks, and it looks like some tickets are available for it.
 
Huh. A 5 pm afternoon show in an outdoor venue. All GA. The price is right, but I'm just old enough that it sounds like a great big hassle.

"All GA" makes me break out in hives. :wink:

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll have to see if I can take off work that afternoon to drive up there.
 
^Doors open at 5, but there's an opening act and AF will come on stage a lot later. When I saw them, the doors opened at 7 and AF started at 9:20. Even though it was reserved seating, it had a GA feel because Win called everyone up front (as he has this tour). But as with all GA, the crowd is a lot thinner in the middle and back.
 
Hmmmm, really? That's good info. Although if the show starts later, I'll have to stay the night, rather than drive 3 hours back to Seattle.

Still pondering ...
 
corianderstem said:
Huh. A 5 pm afternoon show in an outdoor venue. All GA. The price is right, but I'm just old enough that it sounds like a great big hassle.

"All GA" makes me break out in hives. :wink:

Wuss :tsk:

The drive sounds like the biggest pain to me, but I bet it's at least a pretty drive.
 
It's pretty, but the same kind of pretty I see all the time, so that's not a selling point for me. :wink:

And yes, I realize I'm a cantakerous concert goer. I want convenience and comfort in my old age.
 
corianderstem said:

And they're playing at the Gorge at a festival, but I don't care for festivals. I can't go three hours away, over the mountains to a venue where I'll have to camp, just for one band.

And they're playing another 17 festivals in Europe in the summer. I really don't understand why they're doing that - they should ditch the festivals.
 
They should play a concert in my apartment. That would make me happy ... I should be able to get a ticket to THAT, right?

I mean, how ironic would it be to have Arcade Fire playing a gig at Corianderstem's, and I couldn't even get a ticket?
 
corianderstem said:
They should play a concert in my apartment. That would make me happy ... I should be able to get a ticket to THAT, right?

No, they're all gone. Scalpers bought them a week ago. Before, you just had to sell your foot to get one, now they might require the whole leg. :shifty:
 
Ahhh fuck guys it was so good, so good. Fuckkkkk.

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POST CONCERT SWOONY HAPPY GLOW FEELING TIME!
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