Arcade Fire
Lets kick off this review with me admitting that I have never seen Arcade Fire live before. There, I said it. I get enough weird looks from people who have known about the band as long as I have (since their debut) and I have to politely explain that time has never been on my side when it came to seeing Arcade Fire live. So when I got the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands of all time perform, I knew it was finally time to embrace the experience and end the excuses.
Calexico
Opening for Arcade Fire was the always mature and sophisticated Calexico. For me, they couldn’t have picked a better opener. I have seen Calexico several times and they constantly impress me with lush and gritty Americana folk and this time around was no exception. Performing mostly off of 2008’s Carried To Dust, the songs represent a frontier landscape combining the perfect mix of maracas, trumpets, and gently surging hooky country highs. The atmosphere of the desert is brought to the audience with unique charm and professional ability as the seasoned veteran musicians seamlessly sweep from song to song.
Calexico
I was surprised by how open-minded and respectful the crowd was towards the band too. At the same time, I can understand why they were. Calexico brings an unparalleled sense of dramatic ability and adventure to the stage, much like Arcade Fire. It’s always nice to see this well respected and admirable band perform.
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[mp3] Calexico – All the Pretty Horses from Aerocalexico (2001)
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire
I had talked to a few hardcore traveling Arcade Fire fans before the show about my lack of experience with AF concerts and they reassured me that they in no way have slowed down. In fact, they are still as energetic and captivating as I expected. That pretty much sums it up actually. Arcade Fire did not exceed my expectations, they met them. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I had pretty high expectations, but no surprises were had and with the size of the Greek Theatre, the intimacy that I associated with the band wasn’t there.
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire
This may sound like I’m ragging on the show, but I’m not. It was a spectacular display of how the ensemble that is Arcade Fire can perform almost flawlessly. Not to mention the high energy of the entire band as Win Butler jumped in the crowd and another member of the band climbed the rafters with drum in hand.
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire
I also enjoyed the fact that despite the recently released a new album, Arcade Fire played a large amount of songs from Funeral. Yes they rocked a few off Neon Bible and The Suburbs, but it was Funeral that made more of an appearance. Opening with the fan favorite Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) and then keeping it current with Ready To Start and then back to Neighborhood #2 (Laika). For someone that has been a fan of the band for years and finally seeing them live, it was a real treat to hear all the songs I love so dearly performed live.
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire
While Neon Bible isn’t my favorite of the three Arcade Fire albums, the songs took a new form with new found energy that I never associated the album with. Especially when members of Calexico helped performed Ocean of Noise about halfway through the set. Even The Well and the Lighthouse became a bit more kinetic as well as No Cars Go and Keep The Car Running. The new songs sounded as pristine as I expected too. The darkness of Rococo was alive and well, the masculine nature of Month of May and Ready to Start rocketed with the help of Win Butler’s excited energy and the entertaining display of multi-instrumentalist ability from the rest of the band.
Arcade Fire with Calexico
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire (band member climbing the rafters)
I’ve always thought of Arcade Fire like the Pixar of ‘indie rock’ bands. They’re able to balance the appeal of both mainstream and independent crowds without much disappointment for either crowd. This was apparent and on full display at the Greek Theatre show and it was nice to see. While my first Arcade Fire concert experience was to be expected, I did not for one minute feel bored or inattentive. As the band closed the night with the predicted Wake Up with a fair share of crowd participation, I felt privileged to finally witness this timeless act perform.
1. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
2. Ready to Start
3. Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
4. No Cars Go
5. Haïti
6. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
7. Rococo
8. The Suburbs
9. Ocean of Noise (with Calexico)
10. Crown of Love
11. The Well and the Lighthouse
12. Intervention
13. We Used to Wait
14. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
15. Rebellion (Lies)
16. Month of May
Encore:
17. Keep the Car Running
18. Wake Up
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Arcade Fire – We Used To Wait from The Suburbs (2010)
