Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Updated: Arcade Fire and The National Atlanta

Updated:
Thanks to Rich at Cable and Tweed here are a couple of Mp3's from the show.
This one is when Win summoned everyone to the front (funny price is right quote)Quote

Great Version of "Wake Up" from Atlanta with Crowd. Wake Up

For whole show, head over to Cable and Tweed

First off, The National got no respect. Everyone was sitting down the whole time. They still were amazing though. Matt Berninger doesn't play an instrument which is strange but he rocks nonetheless.




They sounded flawless. He truly meated-out on "Mr. November" and "Abel." The new songs sounded great. One variation from the album was on "Squalor Victoria" where he yelled the same a few times at the end of the song. He screamed so hard he almost took a spill. The piano on stage sounded fantastic.









SETLIST:
Start a War
Mistaken for Strangers
Secret Meeting
Slow Show
Abel
Squalor Victoria
Apartment Story
Fake Empire
Mr. November
About Today







Arcade Fire wow is all I can say. With all the hype and expectations, they still lived up to and over and beyond. The venue was like a huge Ryman and I think has a capacity of 4600 and it was nearly if not slap-full. The show started out with some evangelical crazy woman on the screens running up and down the stage (on the screen) Then everyone comes piling out (all ten of them) and start it off with a flawless "Black Mirror." AF steamed through neon bible with "Neighborhood 2 (Laika)" and "Haiti" sandwiched in between. Laika was a definite highlight where Will and red-headed dude were acting like African tribesman on two miscellaneous drum sets on the stage.
LAIKA



The entire show everyone one would play a different instrument. Win played Keys, Organ, Mandolin, bass, and guitar, while Regine played drums, keys, organ, etc. They had 2 permanent violinists and 2 permanent horn guys (who looked completely normal by the way.) Bullhorns, stand-up bass, multiple percussions, keyboards, organs, mandolins, guitars, violins, clarinets, trumpets, (some instrument I have no idea what it was), accordians, were all played and I am probably leaving something out.



Probably the best part of the show:
I was on the second actual row, but there was a little sitting area with fold out chairs where people stood. Finally, on "Power Out" Win told everyone to come to that area. He said something to the effect of these chairs are driving me crazy will yall come up here to the front. Security tried to stop us but Win told them to let us through. As everyone jumped up and down screaming AF could not have sounded better. The crowd was pandomoneum.
Power Out



Then, they went merged straight into "Rebellion(Lies)." All of the sudden we look up and Will is tight-roping the rail up to the balcony with drum in hand high-fiving everyone. I can't believe he did not fall. Go Here to see the rail he climbed. Something caught my eye behind me only to find two high-schoolers making out (or snagging as we called it) like there is not tomorrow. Honestly, this kid probably had the best night of his life. Then, I saw one white girl on the front row up on somebody's shoulder flash her boobs to the band. Then a black girl flashed her boobs up in the balcony. As if it could not get any better, they barrell into "Keep the Car Running."



Then they come out for the first encore with a flawless "Intervention" thick-torqued organ and all. They walked off the stage only to return with none other than "Wake Up" which everyone in the crowd went ape to. Everyone in the crowd black, white, chinese, indie, mid-life crisis, high-schoolers, corporate, hippy all screamed side by side to the choral singing of the song. Incredible experience. Honestly the best show I have ever seen.








Black Mirror
No Cars Go
Neighborhood 2(Laika)
Haiti
Black Wave
My Body is A Cage
Windowsill
The Well and the Lighthouse
Ocean of Noise
Neighborhood 1 (Tunnels)
Power Out>
Rebellion (lies)
Keep the Car Running
___________
Encore:
Intervention
Encore 2 :
Wake Up

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

the instrument you couldn't name was probably the hurdy gurdy. Regine played it during keep the car running.

Amanda Roper said...

That was an awesome concert. I called my boyfriend afterwards and told him that we could never have sex again -- nothing could compare to the excitement of that show!

You did a great coverage of the show -- I'm going to link you on my blog.

BTW-- How did I miss the boobies?!