SFist: Arcade Fire Show, 6/1/07

SFist Emily

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 19:41:20 -0800

Hit the Friday show. I'm convinced that if David Byrne and Christopher Walken had a manchild it'd be the Arcade Fire's lead singer. Which is a very good thing. I was impressed that the band put on such a high energy show at the END Of their tour-- they clearly aren't too cool about caring for the crowd, something other bands could take a lesson from. We didn't love the show as much as when we saw them at Great American Music Hall, but then it wasn't as much as a revelation: they're the same Arcade Fire we saw two years ago. Which is very impressive given how big they've gotten in the last year.

Larry-bob

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 14:03:24 -0800

I saw the Saturday show. I wasn't down in the lowest pit, but on the shallow steps in front of the marble chairs. The sound, while it improved through the night, was not such that all instruments could be heard. The horns in particular were largely inaudible. Maybe the Greek has had too many noise complaints, but it seemed to be hard to achieve liftoff with an underpowered sound system. Still, if not completely transcendent, with the energy the band put out and the excellent visuals, it was worthwhile.

ibsen

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 12:28:19 -0800

you really didn't miss much seeing this band in a smaller venue. i saw them in philadelphia twice at the ~250 capacity unitarian church and again at the ~800 capacity TLA. at the church show they didn't impress me too much and weren't that nuts. they picked up their stride more once at the TLA, but as they've gotten bigger the hype around their performances, and thus the delivery of their performances, has become more intense. i was at last night's (6/2) show and was very impressed. we were down in the pit and the singing along was not an issue since the sound was clear and loud enough from the speakers to drown any off key would-be harmonists out.

Peter

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:22:07 -0800

you prob heard me singing. i thought i sounded great. and i was in a t-shirt and i was fine all night, but i wasn't trying to fall asleep, either. the atmosphere up in back where we were was a mix of apathy from the old timers, mixed in with pure joyousness from the people who appreciate good music. i think maybe some of you old-timers thought this was going to be an orchestra or something and didn't realize it was actually an indie rock band showing up. to each their own. :) p.s. Wake Up, at the end, was insane.

sfistjon

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 17:30:37 -0800

I loved how everybody in the band just seemed to move around without any rhyme or reason-- like everyone was having too much fun being on stage to really worry about hitting their notes or playing their instrument. Like one minute a guitarist started hitting on one of those light poles. Or in "Wake Up" someone stopped playing just to throw things (one of the horn players kept throwing things at another band member too). And one minute someone would play drums then switch to keyboards and then back to druns and then sang in a megaphone, It alll seemed so spontaneous and good hearted that the audience couldn't help but join in on the fun.