Mon 11 Feb – The Arcade Fire
"And we're glad that we could spend it with you." - Win Butler
Judging from those words it seems that The Arcade Fire are going on a hiatus, god knows how long. But if they can be remembered as how they were on Monday night, they could go down as perhaps the best band of this decade.
I was surprised but happy to see there was no opening band - Owen Pallett wasn't touring with them, apparently, so Final Fantasy didn't open like I thought he might. As I had an hour and a half of trains to take home I kind of needed the concert to end early so I could get home. Since they started playing at 6:15 or so and ended at about 8, it worked out well for me - and what a set they played. (Anyone wants to correct this, feel free - I don't remember the song order, just what they played.)
Black Mirror
Keep the Car Running
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Ocean of Noise
Neon Bible
All The Umbrellas in London (Magnetic Fields cover)
Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
Headlights Look Like Diamonds
The Well and the Lighthouse
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Wave of Mutilation (Pixies cover - only half of it though)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Antichrist Television Blues
Rebellion (Lies)
encore:
Intervention
Wake Up
They were filled with their usual energy - especially Will Butler, who would toss his drum in the air, run back and forth across the stage playing his guitar, and leap over stationary objects on the stage. He and Richard Reed Parry of course went berserk during "Laika," banging on practically anything they could. Also, Regine was cute as a button as always, getting down with her bad self during "Haiti" and "Antichrist Television Blues."
The crowd was so into it I basically couldn't breathe. No wonder Arcade Fire were so glad to be back in Tokyo. During the opening songs and the higher-energy numbers, the crowd went wild and I had to rock out with them to keep from being crushed! Certainly a big difference from American crowds these days... though the last Arcade Fire show I went to had a decent crowd.
Win's remarks about the band's future weren't too alarming; he made a few jokes about making a greatest hits compilation, but if nothing else it just seems like a hiatus for a year or two. Here's hoping they come back in 2010 with a stellar 3rd album! And hey, maybe they can throw that cool "Headlights Look Like Diamonds" song on there. ;)
"And we're glad that we could spend it with you." - Win Butler
Judging from those words it seems that The Arcade Fire are going on a hiatus, god knows how long. But if they can be remembered as how they were on Monday night, they could go down as perhaps the best band of this decade.
I was surprised but happy to see there was no opening band - Owen Pallett wasn't touring with them, apparently, so Final Fantasy didn't open like I thought he might. As I had an hour and a half of trains to take home I kind of needed the concert to end early so I could get home. Since they started playing at 6:15 or so and ended at about 8, it worked out well for me - and what a set they played. (Anyone wants to correct this, feel free - I don't remember the song order, just what they played.)
Black Mirror
Keep the Car Running
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Ocean of Noise
Neon Bible
All The Umbrellas in London (Magnetic Fields cover)
Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
Headlights Look Like Diamonds
The Well and the Lighthouse
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Wave of Mutilation (Pixies cover - only half of it though)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Antichrist Television Blues
Rebellion (Lies)
encore:
Intervention
Wake Up
They were filled with their usual energy - especially Will Butler, who would toss his drum in the air, run back and forth across the stage playing his guitar, and leap over stationary objects on the stage. He and Richard Reed Parry of course went berserk during "Laika," banging on practically anything they could. Also, Regine was cute as a button as always, getting down with her bad self during "Haiti" and "Antichrist Television Blues."
The crowd was so into it I basically couldn't breathe. No wonder Arcade Fire were so glad to be back in Tokyo. During the opening songs and the higher-energy numbers, the crowd went wild and I had to rock out with them to keep from being crushed! Certainly a big difference from American crowds these days... though the last Arcade Fire show I went to had a decent crowd.
Win's remarks about the band's future weren't too alarming; he made a few jokes about making a greatest hits compilation, but if nothing else it just seems like a hiatus for a year or two. Here's hoping they come back in 2010 with a stellar 3rd album! And hey, maybe they can throw that cool "Headlights Look Like Diamonds" song on there. ;)
