Show. Of. The. Year.
The best concerts all have one thing in common: they leave the listener feeling invigorated, reinvented, and giddy as a six year-old who receives the square of birthday cake with the biggest slab of icing on top. The best live bands have that ability to tear down walls (pardon the cliche) between the audience and band. You know what I'm talking about—that imaginary "fourth wall" that allows the audience to peak in on the party. Some bands are better than others at creating a communal sense of excitement at their concerts. Essentially, some reveal more than others; some feature peakholes, while others just swing the front door wide open and let the audience sleep on their couch.
There are plenty of tactics that bands will use to tear down that wall, from actually going into the audience (ala the old grunge fave "the stagedive") to simply slapping some skin or allowing the audience (the "hot" ones at least) to come up on stage and boogie. But, it's a rare feat to discover a band that can break down that wall with wrecking ball-like intensity without resorting to well-worn tricks of the trade. Last night, I found one.
The Arcade Fire put on the best show of the year as far as I'm concerned. Forces both seen and unseen united to create a special night. For starters, the concert was supposed to be held in an all-ages coffee house. I think coffee houses are obviously great for coffee (if you drink the filthy brew) and studying and yapping with friends and reading the paper. They are not well-served as a venue, however. (Unless we're talking about Joe Schmoe playing some songs he wrote on his acoustic guitar.) I like beer with my bands. And I like my bands on an elevated, well-lit stage backed by a great-sounding P.A. So, luckily, due to "overwhelming demand for tickets" the show was moved to a proper venue, The Highdive.
For those non-locals among us, The Highdive was once considered to be the savior of the rock and roll scene in Champaign-Urbana when it opened five-plus years ago. It was a 450-capacity venue that was appealing to both the eyes and ears. Not only did the promoter bring in great bands that weren't receiving the opportunity to play in town otherwise, but he was doing so on a regular basis. Well, time, circumstances and reality have changed some of that. Now, there are other, smaller venues that fill that niche, and The Highdive is primarily a DJ/dance venue that hosts the occasional touring band of note.
So, seeing The Arcade Fire at The Highdive brought back all these wonderful memories of old. I think the club itself had a good fucking time last night. The exposed brick walls were happy to shake free a little dirt and the lights were pleased to be coordinated to a kick drum instead of a Xtina album and the stage was overjoyed to hold an upright bass, steel drums and an accordian instead of forty sorority girls showing off their shoulder blades.
And the crowd was definitely having a good time as well. After witnessing The Arcade Fire's hyped live show (supposedly they were signed on the strength of their live show) myself, it takes some definite doing on the part of the audience to not have fun at one of their shows. The band simply bursts with energy and emotion and reckless we-don't-give-a-hoot-whether-you-
dig-us-or-not-cause-we're-rocking-the-party-anyhow attitude.
The group's live set put into motion some influences that aren't as readily apparent on the record, namely the Talking Heads (whom they covered), Neutral Milk Hotel and the Flaiming Lips. I already had a Yo La Tengo-meets-Broken Social Scene vibe from the band's debut album. But what they do on a raised platform transcends simple indie rock conventions to elevate the band to a truly unrestricted status. My friend Chris—who dislikes their name—says the "arcade" portion of their title is fitting because the band resembles a carnival on stage. They were having FUN; but more so, they effortlessly constructed a communal atmosphere. Not only were the band members swapping instruments between songs, but the entire group seemed to shout out the background vocals. There was an unruly energy that possessed the band and was left totally unchecked throughout their set. Percussionists pounded the stage floor, the mic stands, the monitors, each other, tambourines, Civil War-styled marching drums, sleigh bells ... basically anything capable of producing a noise regardless of whether it was bolted down or not. In this sense, The Arcade Fire reminded me of Neutral Milk Hotel's live backing group, a ragtag Salvation Army-styled band full of bruised horns and strange instruments culled from the attic of an eighth-grade music instructor. The Arcade Fire could have just as easily been peddling for change on a street corner.
The celebratory atmosphere also reminded me of my experiences seeing The Flaming Lips. While the crowd was never doused in confetti and there was no fake (or real) blood to be seen, The Arcade Fire seemed intent on forcing their exuberance onto the crowd, and the audience seemed more than willing to accept the gift. The mood fell short of bedlam, for certain; but then again, convincing aging indie rockers to stand (instead of sit) at a concert might be as much movement as one can expect at a concert of this ilk.
Just as the group's album inspires a sort of restless optimism, their live show also capitalizes on that sensation, but with a greater urgency and without sacrificing any of the album's textured pleasantries. Even though it was clear that the lead singer's voice was worn and weary, his supporting cast was more than able to make up for any imperfections with a rousing performance. And whether we're discussing baseball, bands or the affairs of state, I think we can all agree that it's those that wholly accept the concept of winning as a team that have the greatest chance of ultimate success. The Arcade Fire are quite familiar with that concept.
They also paid dues—rightfully so—to The Blackouts, who rose to the occasion and put on one of their best sets of recent memory. It's too bad the rest of you out there in cyberspace won't have the opportunity to witness this one-two punch for yourselves. But I suspect that your opportunity to see The Blackouts on a stage near you will be coming soon enough.
There are plenty of tactics that bands will use to tear down that wall, from actually going into the audience (ala the old grunge fave "the stagedive") to simply slapping some skin or allowing the audience (the "hot" ones at least) to come up on stage and boogie. But, it's a rare feat to discover a band that can break down that wall with wrecking ball-like intensity without resorting to well-worn tricks of the trade. Last night, I found one.
The Arcade Fire put on the best show of the year as far as I'm concerned. Forces both seen and unseen united to create a special night. For starters, the concert was supposed to be held in an all-ages coffee house. I think coffee houses are obviously great for coffee (if you drink the filthy brew) and studying and yapping with friends and reading the paper. They are not well-served as a venue, however. (Unless we're talking about Joe Schmoe playing some songs he wrote on his acoustic guitar.) I like beer with my bands. And I like my bands on an elevated, well-lit stage backed by a great-sounding P.A. So, luckily, due to "overwhelming demand for tickets" the show was moved to a proper venue, The Highdive.
For those non-locals among us, The Highdive was once considered to be the savior of the rock and roll scene in Champaign-Urbana when it opened five-plus years ago. It was a 450-capacity venue that was appealing to both the eyes and ears. Not only did the promoter bring in great bands that weren't receiving the opportunity to play in town otherwise, but he was doing so on a regular basis. Well, time, circumstances and reality have changed some of that. Now, there are other, smaller venues that fill that niche, and The Highdive is primarily a DJ/dance venue that hosts the occasional touring band of note.
So, seeing The Arcade Fire at The Highdive brought back all these wonderful memories of old. I think the club itself had a good fucking time last night. The exposed brick walls were happy to shake free a little dirt and the lights were pleased to be coordinated to a kick drum instead of a Xtina album and the stage was overjoyed to hold an upright bass, steel drums and an accordian instead of forty sorority girls showing off their shoulder blades.
And the crowd was definitely having a good time as well. After witnessing The Arcade Fire's hyped live show (supposedly they were signed on the strength of their live show) myself, it takes some definite doing on the part of the audience to not have fun at one of their shows. The band simply bursts with energy and emotion and reckless we-don't-give-a-hoot-whether-you-
dig-us-or-not-cause-we're-rocking-the-party-anyhow attitude.
The group's live set put into motion some influences that aren't as readily apparent on the record, namely the Talking Heads (whom they covered), Neutral Milk Hotel and the Flaiming Lips. I already had a Yo La Tengo-meets-Broken Social Scene vibe from the band's debut album. But what they do on a raised platform transcends simple indie rock conventions to elevate the band to a truly unrestricted status. My friend Chris—who dislikes their name—says the "arcade" portion of their title is fitting because the band resembles a carnival on stage. They were having FUN; but more so, they effortlessly constructed a communal atmosphere. Not only were the band members swapping instruments between songs, but the entire group seemed to shout out the background vocals. There was an unruly energy that possessed the band and was left totally unchecked throughout their set. Percussionists pounded the stage floor, the mic stands, the monitors, each other, tambourines, Civil War-styled marching drums, sleigh bells ... basically anything capable of producing a noise regardless of whether it was bolted down or not. In this sense, The Arcade Fire reminded me of Neutral Milk Hotel's live backing group, a ragtag Salvation Army-styled band full of bruised horns and strange instruments culled from the attic of an eighth-grade music instructor. The Arcade Fire could have just as easily been peddling for change on a street corner.
The celebratory atmosphere also reminded me of my experiences seeing The Flaming Lips. While the crowd was never doused in confetti and there was no fake (or real) blood to be seen, The Arcade Fire seemed intent on forcing their exuberance onto the crowd, and the audience seemed more than willing to accept the gift. The mood fell short of bedlam, for certain; but then again, convincing aging indie rockers to stand (instead of sit) at a concert might be as much movement as one can expect at a concert of this ilk.
Just as the group's album inspires a sort of restless optimism, their live show also capitalizes on that sensation, but with a greater urgency and without sacrificing any of the album's textured pleasantries. Even though it was clear that the lead singer's voice was worn and weary, his supporting cast was more than able to make up for any imperfections with a rousing performance. And whether we're discussing baseball, bands or the affairs of state, I think we can all agree that it's those that wholly accept the concept of winning as a team that have the greatest chance of ultimate success. The Arcade Fire are quite familiar with that concept.
They also paid dues—rightfully so—to The Blackouts, who rose to the occasion and put on one of their best sets of recent memory. It's too bad the rest of you out there in cyberspace won't have the opportunity to witness this one-two punch for yourselves. But I suspect that your opportunity to see The Blackouts on a stage near you will be coming soon enough.
Very nice review!
I also got the Talking Heads vibe from Arcade Fire before they covered them, and then when I was reviewing the album, I didn't hear it much at all. Great show, great bands.
Arun
By 
, at 1:36 AM
1:36 AMVery nice review!
I also got the Talking Heads vibe from Arcade Fire before they covered them, and then when I was reviewing the album, I didn't hear it much at all. Great show, great bands.
Arun