It was sweet. I had a ringing in my ears for a full day afterwards, and a bruised chest from being pushed up against the front railing the whole night. I was in the absolute front center. I was mostly there to see LCD Soundsystem. I just like that guys style, he is funny. And I know everybody out there who is in to this stuff is going to think it blasphemy that I liked the opening act more than the headline act, that's just how I am at most concerts. I went and saw the Format and Motion City Soundtrack open for All American Rejects, and left before the Rejects even took the stage. But Arcade Fire was good. Man, they are performers! Especially Régine. She accidentally cut her hand she was drumming so hard, and a guy in our group ended up getting the bloody drum stick after the show. I think he is going to build a shrine or something.
They are promoting their acclaimed second album, Neon Bible, which I guess is a lot about the commercialization of religion. I thought that was interesting, because it seemed to me that they were doing a fine job of religionizing the commercial. I had the best seat in the place, but the First Church of Win Butler was worshiping right behind me. It was great, but I've had my fill of concert for the next while. I'm getting too old for this stuff. I don't want to be that guy teenagers see at a concert and ask, "What is he doing here? He knows this isn't a Dan Fogelberg concert, right?"
LCD Soundsystem
Win Butler came down and basked in his disciples' adoration. I was standing to the immediate left of the guy recording this video.
Régine was rocking out the whole time.
The kid behind me was screaming for this song throughout the concert till they played it.
Some time I'll have to read and write a little about the rock concert as a shamanic experience. Wediscussed this in my History of American Popular Culture class a couple years ago. It's the idea that the modern rock concert serves a similar role as the tribal shamanic journey, with the Band head man serving as Shaman, and the audience as the Tribe. It's actually plain as day after somebody draws the parallel for you. At both the concert and the religious tribal ceremony, you have smoke, heavy beats, dancing, chanting, a large crowd, and a leader who seems to be in touch with a greater or mysterious truth, somehow hidden from the rest.
Let me tell you, the crowd at that show would have agreed if you told them Win Butler was their intermediary, their Witch Doctor, their Saint, their Prophet.
More Pics.
I just think LCD Soundsystem has a cool beat. That's all.
NOTE: I'd like to point out that only two of the pictures from this post are my own. I love the interconnectivity of the web. I just found all of these in about 5 minutes today, from the same show I was at. Except the Music video collage up top, I made that in about 3 minutes. I ♥ the Web.
8 comments:
oooooohh. that's cool. Hey, I was there!!!
btw, I've heard that when your ears ring that's a tone that you will never hear again. Incidentally, my ears don't ring anymore....
When your ears ring it is called tinnitus. I was definitely suffering from a temporary threshold shift after the show. (She says as she pushes the duct tape portion of her glasses back to where they belong with her index finger)
All bands should perform like those bands did.
"Religionizing the commercial" was a great line, thank you.
Glad I got to see you there.
arcade fire was the best show i have ever been to
If you're interested, I have some more pictures on my blog: agnespennyworth.livejournal.com
I totally know what you mean about getting too old for good old fashioned rock concerts. I feel that way at about every other show I go to. I console my soul by mixing it up a little- I try to go to the symphony or opera once in a while as well. I don't think it actually makes any sort of substantial difference but somehow it makes me feel better.
I still remember one of my first concert experiences. I was 15 and went to see the Dave Matthews Band. He was cool back then. Anyway there were these bizarro olds right next to me swaying and dancing who kept bumping into me. I distinctly remember thinking to myself "Ahh! I hope I don't ever end up like them."
Don't worry. I don't think either of us are in too much danger yet.
"You know that ringing in your ears? That 'eeeeeeeee'? That's the sound of the ear cells dying, like their swan song. Once it's gone you'll never hear that frequency again. Enjoy it while it lasts." -Julian from Children of Men
Agreed, Mere. All bands. Glad you liked the paradigm shift of religionizing the commercial.
Jasie, I'm linking to your pictures.
Tiff, you would have loved this show. Where/when did you see them?
Mary, DMB=The first concert I ever went to. For my 16th birthday, probably the same tour that you saw them on. And yes, they were cool back then. We should be okay to go to rock concerts for a couple more years, but then I think it's going to have to be reunion tours for me. Something where everybody is old.
I want to hear the rest of that shaman theory. It sounds kinda cool.
How did I not know you were at this show?
And yes, it was hands down the greatest show I've ever seen. I really liked Arcade Fire before, but I adore them now.
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