Arcade Fire at the Beachland Ballroom March 3 2008

Holy fuckin' shit. Holy fuckin' shit! HOLY SHIT MAN DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?!

72 hours ago, I heard that the Arcade Fire would be putting on a free show in Cleveland. Free. Cleveland. Holy shit. 48 hours ago I was devising a plan with my brother on how the hell we'd get in line early enough to get in (the show was announced as first come, first served, no advance tickets). 24 hours ago it was announced that a late show had been added, and tickets could be picked up in advance. Holy shit! Not long after, I heard that my brother had scored some of these elusive tickets (big ups AMart). JESUS CHRIST HOLY SHIT I'M SEEING ARCADE FIRE TONIGHT FOR FUCKING ZERO DOLLARS IN A PLACE THAT HOLDS 500 PEOPLE.

Setlist:
1. Intervention - very solid. Neon Bible didn't do nearly as much for me as Funeral, but there were two songs I was hoping to hear from the second album, this and "Keep the Car Running". We got this one and I was happy to have it. Just like on the album, it started slow but its power was undeniable from the jump. Soon enough, we had a full-blown anthem on our hands as people were singing and dancing along. Because the show was for a political cause, and the general tone of the evening was a hopeful one, the song seemed a bit desperate and the lyrics took on a new meaning ("I can taste the fear/Lift me up and take me out of here/Don't want to fight, don't want to die/Just wanna hear you cry") and especially "Working for the church while your life falls apart/Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart". Beautifully done and really a powerful moment. But only a hint of what was to come.

2. (Antichrist Television Blues) - I'm not crazy about this song and the performance didn't do too much to make me reconsider. All I took from it is that at times Win sounds a hell of a lot like Bruce Springsteen.

3. A Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon cover) - This was really nice and well done, but nothing compared to...

4. Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke) - My favorite Sam Cooke song (the only one on my iPod, regrettably) and probably one of the best bands to pull it off. Really an understated rendition, Win obviously doesn't have Cooke's vocal chops but the band worked hard to put their heart into it and the results were phenomenal. The song came across as the classic that it is, and it was an appropriate choice for the evening - "It's been a long time comin'/But I know a change is gonna come". This sentiment echoed the prevailing (at least in the Ballroom) attitude that Barack Obama represents real and significant change for our country.

Then shit got completely out of control.

5. Rebellion (Lies) - You may have seen photos of this one. Right off the bat, the crowd goes absolutely crazy when we recognize the song. This is a great song on the record, but when played the way it was last night, with seemingly primal desperation, well it's something special. When it really got rolling, about three minutes (where everyone starts yelling and the subtle part of the song is over and emotion takes over) Win just jumped into the crowd, mic stand and all. He's covered in sweat, and he's wading through a throng of adoring backup singers (screamers, really) and people are losing their shit. Everyone takes a picture, touches his vest, jumps up and down and basically goes hoarse yelling. Then he keeps moving through the crowd and settles literally right in front of me (albeit with his back turned to me). I was within about 6 millimeters of Win Butler for the next 4 minutes, as the extended chorus ("Every time you close your eyes/Lies! Lies!") is screamed over and over by people who seemed to really mean it, including me, and there are some pictures of me looking pretty nerdy (but heartfelt) out there. By the way, he's like 6'3'' - interesting side note. He goes back on stage and the band launches right into...

6. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) - Absolutely no let down here, as the band and the crowd both relished screaming the "Whoo-hoo" parts between verses, and for a minute I really thought Regine was going to pop a blood vessel - she can't possibly perform like this every night, can she? Or can she? Amazing. Before we knew what hit us, Win threw the mic triumphantly down and they walked off to something more than applause - just the sound of heartfelt thanks and sheer admiration. This would have been a great way to end the night, except the mood at that moment wasn't one of optimism or hope, but closer to extreme excitement, the kind that in young people (a group to which I luckily no longer belong) would probably create a riot. So it was lucky that they came back for a quick encore.

7. Wake Up - Another amazing singalong moment. After a quick false start, there was much more OOOOOOOOOOOOing, and the crowd jumped the gun at one point at the band nearly lost their spot again as they laughed at us. I think they forgave us because they knew we were in awe. A totally triumphant moment, and as I walked out I just couldn't believe what I'd seen. People were delirious. Arcade Fire in a 500-capacity club, with electricity in the air. Incredible.

March Releases '07

How the hell did we get to May without addressing the great albums that came out in March? Oh yeah, I'm lazy. Here's the rundown:

Low - Drums and Guns

Minnesota slo-core band Low returns with their follow up to 2004's "The Great Destroyer" and deliver another unique effort. Opening track "Pretty People" reminds us over hazy guitar and strict beats that we are "all going to die". While "Pretty People" may set the mood of the album, second track "Belarus" lays out the blueprint with it's sterile, industrial feel. Gone are the big, easily accessible sounds of favorites like "California", replaced with calculated drums and heavily distorted, yet understated guitar. This formula, combined with minor keys, provides excellent tension throughout the album, coming to a natural conclusion on "Murderer" and "Violent Past". A well thoughtout and crafted album that will reward listeners that can overcome its rough exterior.


Air - Pocket Symphony

The eclectic Frenchmen kick off "Pocket Symphony" with the instrumental "Space Maker" a dreamy guitar/piano combination, which once again proves that Air knows how to make music equally suited for waking up and "going to bed". Unfortunately, album-wise Air has the problem of having to live in their own shadow, which includes one of the best electronica albums of all time (1999's "Moon Safari") and the best film score of all time (2000's soundtrack to Sofia Coppola's "The Virgin Suicides"). "Pocket Symphony" is the group's most understated work to date, using tracks like "Mayfair Song" and "Lost Message" to create atmosphere, but it hardly seems like new ground. Air does provide a new wrinkle, relying on Pulp's Jarvis Cocker to carry the slow moving (i.e. hungover) "One Hell of a Party" and allowing Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon to shape the excellent "Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping". Again, nothing new here, but a pleasant listen.


Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

The Arcade Fire follow up 2004's unexpected classic (and possibly Album of the Decade!!) "Funeral" with the most anticipated album of 2007. "Black Mirror" leads the album off in typical Arcade Fire style, heavy and ominous with Win's vocals teetering on the edge. After "Black Mirror", "Neon Bible" storms out of the gate with "Keep the Car Running" and "Intervention" proving the Arcade Fire are able to perfectly deliver their emotions through song. Unfortunately this is where things turn a little sour. "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" is clumsy and heavy-handed, while "Ocean of Noise" suffers from a lack of drive, leaving the middle of the album feeling empty and underdeveloped. "The Well and the Lighthouse" gets things back on track in a completely adequate way, before "(Antichrist Television Blues)" delivers the passion, songwriting and tension only the Arcade Fire can provide. Fittingly the album ends with "My Body is a Cage", the song that best distinguishes "Neon Bible" from its predecesor. Where "Funeral" ended "In the Backseat" with the listener sharing Regine's devastation and helplessness, "Neon Bible" concludes with the awkward and vague "My Body is a Cage". This emotional disconnect that permeates the album is ultimately why "Neon Bible" fell short of (admittedly) unfair expectations.

Arcade Fire on SNL

So you say the Arcade Fire isn't coming to your town or ticket scalpers were able to land hundreds of tickets while your hungover attempt to score seats for their DC show was futile. Worry not faithful Arcade Fire fan, Saturday Night Live has become relevant for the first time in years and invited the Canadian sensations to perform. Those willing to suffer through Rainn Wilson and a few terrible skits were rewarded with two songs: "Intervention" and "Keep the Car Running".

"Intervention" has the feeling of "Rebellion Lies" from Funeral. A big sound (heavy on the organ) and an undeniable tension. The song starts with organ, bells and guitar and transitions with ease, adding in strings, bass and a french horn. While the song was tight and well played, Win really stole the show with charism and intensity (a "Joshua Tree"-era Bono????). About half way through the song, Win breaks a string on his guitar which irritated him, since as the song closed he broke several other strings and smashed his guitar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xia3WiqPUY



"Keep the Car Running" starts with the band playing drums, guitar, piano and a few other instruments that I'm pretty sure I have never seen before. Regine is playing something that kinda looks like a violin with a crank on it, yeah, beats the hell out of me. The song is fairly indescript and doesn't really go anywhere, but an indescript Arcade Fire song is still pretty great. It's a straight forward rock song with an airy, woodsy feel (I think due to Regine's crank instrument and a bass clarinet).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyu_VvR0i1Y