The story of my Arcade Fire fanhood starts on February 24, 2007. I was watching Saturday Night Live, in support of Dwight Shrute (really Rainn Wilson) on NBC's "The Office." Dwight was hosting, and a Canadian group by the name of Arcade Fire was the musical guest.
The first song the band performed on that show, and first I've ever heard from them, was "Intervention." I watched as the large group performed on the small SNL stage as if they were playing their final show ever, putting every ounce of energy into those 4 minutes. The song even concluded with frontman Win Butler slamming his guitar, swing after swing, against the floor. A bit over the top? Maybe. But did they captivate my attention? Yes.
Shortly after that performance, things started rolling with myself and Arcade Fire. I discovered Funeral, which is still in my top 5 today of my all time favorite albums. You then had the album that "Intervention" calls home - Neon Bible. After that came the Grammy Award winning The Suburbs, giving the band the recognition it finally deserves. And then after a 3 year break came Reflektor.
4 amazing albums. Each one 4+ stars. Countless days and hours of listening to these guys over the past 7 and a half years. But I've never been able to see them live. That all changed Friday night.
Since the self-called "Reflektor's" decided not to include Florida in their world tour stops, I had to travel up to New York City for this one. They played 3 nights at Barclays Center, and I scored tix to both the Friday and Saturday night shows.
Opening up for Arcade Fire was The Unicorns, a band that Arcade Fire actually opened up for 10 years earlier. The three piece group didn't do much for me, and the crowd was restless and just very ready for the headliner.
After The Unicorns left the stage, there was about a 45 minute break before Arcade Fire would begin. During this time, DJ Dan Deacon set up a small "B stage" at the back end of the floor. At first, most of the general admission crowd would not dare leave the area of the main stage. But Dan proved to be very interactive with the crowd, encouraging a dance circle and a split-crowd dance circle to get everyone in the dancing mood.
Right before 9pm, a man dressed in a full suit and mask made of mirrors, (appropriately named 'Mirror Man') took the B stage to introduce the main act. Very quickly the large curtain hiding the A stage fell to the floor. And there they were - the 5 core members of Arcade Fire (along with the enlarged touring crew). It almost seemed unreal after so many years of waiting.
Right away Arcade Fire jumped into their first single off the new album - the self titled "Reflektor." The band has completely bought into this theme of the album. Mirrors aligned the stage, a ceiling of mirrors rotated down from the back of the stage, giving floor attendees an overhead view of themselves, and band members even wore mirrors on their hands, reflecting light all around the arena.
The floor was jamming from the start, and Arcade Fire wasted no time getting going. Following "Reflektor" came two of the bands largest hits from their debut album - "Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)" and "Rebellion." I don't believe I'm alone with Funeral being my favorite album. The ovations and sing-a-longs for tunes off that album were incredible.
After a rowdy "Joan of Arc," the group payed tribute to their 2011 Grammy Album of the Year winning The Suburbs. (Yes, if you forgot, this indie band beat out other nominees Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry for top honors that year.) Both "The Suburbs" and "Ready to Start" have a slightly more mellow feel but are still so pleasant to hear live.
Sophomore album Neon Bible was not overlooked as well. Hits "Keep the Car Running," and "No Cars Go" made appearances towards the middle of the set. This really had the feel of more of an Arcade Fire greatest hits show than a concert simply highlighting Reflektor.
On the Reflektor side, new tunes "We Exist," "Afterlife," and "It's Never Over" all filled the gaps. I was very impressed with tunes from the new album performed live. They were almost contradicting. I never realized listening to the album how dark some of the songs are. But despite the dark feel, I've never been a part of a show with so much movement in the crowd. The entire floor seemed to dance as one. It was not a moshpit or anything like that, everyone just seemed to be in the same rhythm.
After an appropriate "Sprawl II" closer, Arcade Fire stepped up their game for an awesome encore. Two of the best off the new album - "Here Comes the Night Time" and "Normal Person" sent the crowd into a frenzy. The added effects of unimaginable amounts of confetti, a killer lights show and a parade of extras wearing oversized fake celebrity bobbleheads on stage only enhanced things. It was a great environment.
The final song of the night was one of the greatest live songs you will ever hear. Hidden on Arcade Fire's debut, "Wake Up" has all members of the band shouting together, with a heavy bass drum beat. The crowd was so loud for this that it was even difficult to hear the band. It was magical live. I can't even imagine how amazing it would be performed at a festival. (Hint hint...Lolla 2015)
In conclusion, 7 and a half years was worth the wait. This is one of the greatest bands you can see live. Amazing energy and effort. Go see them live and go support their music. Arcade Fire is so indie, that you will rarely ever hear them on the radio. You have to make the initiative and there's plenty to choose from. 4 great albums. I'm so glad I can cross this off the list.
Concert Rating: 4.5 Stars
SETLIST:
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(alternate shortened version)
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(w/ LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" intro)
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(Régine on B-stage)
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('Damian Taylor Remix' intro)
- Encore:
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(New York Dolls song) (Fake band on B-stage)
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(Buster Poindexter cover) (with David Johansen) (introduced as "Ladies and gentlemen, Buster Poindexter.)
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(w/ Vangelis' "Chariots of Fire" intro)
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