Paper

Gotta love Arcade Fire's approach to "alerting the media" about progress on their most recent album, Suburbs. Good-old-fashioned paper correspondence (the stamp is a great touch).

Here's to hoping the United States Postal Service is able to adapt to the reality of online bill paying, email and the like.

I used to write,
I used to write letters I used to sign my name
I used to sleep at night
Before the flashing lights settled deep in my brain

But by the time we met
By the time we met the times had already changed

So I never wrote a letter
I never took my true heart I never wrote it down
So when the lights cut out
I was left standing in the wilderness downtown

Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last

- "We Used To Wait" by Arcade Fire

Review: Arcade Fire @ MSG | Aug. 4/5

By Shanna Farrell
cas:ev contributor

The Talking Heads. Modest Mouse. Arcade Fire. These are three of my favorite bands. These are the only three bands I would not mind watching play a practically identical show two nights in a row. Last week, at Madison Square Garden, I got to experience this with Arcade Fire.

Did I start off on the wrong foot? Let me back up. I caught the Arcade Fire train after it had pulled out of the station. I only really got into them about two years ago (I went on a little musical hiatus awhile back and refused to listen to anything new). Many of my friends have seen them live before this current tour, but I hadn’t. When I found out they were touring in support of The Suburbs, I was ecstatic. Though I am not a huge fan of stadium shows, I bought my ticket for their first night at MSG during a pre-sale. Those tickets sold out quickly, and the band decided to add a second date that would be broadcast live. As I mentioned, I ended up in attendance for both of these shows.

Both nights began with Owen Pallet, formerly of Arcade Fire, playing a captivating set on his violin. I grew up playing the violin and worked at a high-end fine instrument auction house (price some good violins on eBay to get an idea), but I hadn't heard anything like this, especially live. He was humble, humorous and engaging. After Pallet, Spoon took the stage. This was my first time seeing Spoon live, and they put on a solid show both nights. I don’t have much more to say about Spoon …

After Spoon’s set was over, crew members crawled all over the stage preparing for Arcade Fire’s production. A floor-to-ceiling screen was revealed directly behind the stage. In front of this screen, another projection screen was in place, resembling the size and shape that of a football scoreboard. A double riser was erected as an elevated platform for two drum kits, a drum machine, a piano, and a keyboard. This was one of the most elaborate scenes I have witnessed.

As the lights lowered, a low rumble began and the crowd exploded in cheers and applause. Led by Regine Chassagne, the members of Arcade Fire took the stage. The nine performers opened their set with “Ready to Start”, appropriately. The room was on fire and the band was on. Chassagne won my “Rock Star of the Night” award for her energy and her musical chops. She bounced around the stage from instrument to instrument, never missing a beat. Much to the rest of the band’s credit, most of them also switched instruments throughtout the show. The two drum kits were used frequently and were electrifying. During “Rebellion”, the keyboardist grabbed a snare drum, took to the front of the stage, and started beating in time. He broke his stick but kept thumping the snare with the flat of his palm. Also during “Rebellion”, I knew that I had to be at their second show.

The first night, Win Butler stayed put on the stage. He spoke little, but when he did, he was met with full support. He mentioned Partners in Health, a medical organization founded by Paul Farmer who has clinic in real Haiti. (Sidenote: This organization really is incredible. I read one of Paul Farmer’s books a year ago and it was fantastic.) He also managed to make the entire crowd “boo," and me laugh. He pointed out his favorite place in the general admission pit, citing that this was the spot were Kareem Abdul Jabar blocked a shot that caused the Houston Rockets to win the playoffs against The Knicks. Needless to say, New Yorkers were none too pleased to hear this shoutout, but I thought it was funny. I was also impressed by the “boos” he received. They played for three hours and ended with a three song encore, “Tunnels”, “Mountains Beyond Mountains”, and “Wake Up”. It was one of the best shows I have been privy to.

I managed to “wrangle” a ticket and had high hopes for the second night. I wanted them to play “Neon Bible” and “Lenin”, but was in for a surprise- they played the very same songs as the night before save one. And in the same order. The camera was on them and they were working hard. It became clear that the first night was practice and the show didn’t have the same ease and effortlessness the previous show had. There was a camera rig floating over the general admission pit and technical difficulties, resulting in “Mountains Beyond Mountains” to be cut off and then played from the top. At one point, Butler jumped to the seated side of the stage and precariously walked on a handrail. He also walked through the crowd once and fell into the pit while playing his guitar several times. At the very end, confetti rained down on the crowd. While there were hundreds of people packed into MSG, it was not sold out, as the night before had been. Though it was a great show, I left feeling slightly disappointed. I wanted something that they did not give me. Just because the production value was higher during round two, it was not necessarily better.

All that said, those two nights provided some of the best music I have heard in a really long time. Arcade Fire is a band for the ages folks, and if you get a chance to see them live, take it.

Now I'm Ready To Start

Tonight's Arcade Fire show at Madison Square Garden will be webcast on YouTube at 10 p.m. HERE.

The show is the second in a two-night stand. Last night, the band touched heavily on their brand new release Suburbs and also played songs from their first two records, Neon Bible (2007) and Funeral (2004).

Last night's set list (courtesy of BrooklynVegan.com):

1. Ready to Start
2. Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)
3. No Cars Go
4. Haïti
5. Half Light II (No Celebration)
6. Rococo
7. The Suburbs
8. The Suburbs (Continued)
9. Crown of Love
10. Intervention
11. We Used to Wait
12. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
13. Rebellion (Lies)
14. Month of May
15. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Encore:
16. Keep the Car Running
17. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
18. Wake Up

Unreal!!!

My friend and regular cas:ev contributer Shanna Farrell was at the show. She is trying to 'wrangle up' a ticket for tonight as well. Please join me in wishing her luck.

She is working on an account of her experience and will be posted here as soon as I recieve it. From the sounds of it, it was the show of the century.

New Arcade Fire

Cool designs abound with Arcade Fire. They never cease to amaze.
Reminds me of an early-60's Hollywood flick.

Canadian collective Arcade Fire released two new songs of their upcoming and third release The Suburbs. As expected, the songs, "Suburbs" and "Month of May," are real toe-tappers. They maintain their familiar sound, offering up rich, synth-driven beats layered with Bruce-Springstein-esque guitar leads and the airey harmonies from husband-wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne.

Their debut, Funeral, and followup, Neon Bible, were rock solid records. After hearing these two songs, I dont' think Suburbs will fall far from the tree. This is a band with a plan.

I wonder what's up with the neighborhoods/suburbs themes that keep popping up in their songs? Almost as if they are looking at a snapshot of everyday life in a typical city and putting a score to it. Food for thought ...

Stream "Suburbs" and "Month of May" here.

Check out a previous post I wrote about Funeral here.

Arcade Fire

What's been dominating my car stereo:

Arcade Fire, The Funeral

Supposedly, this is all Spike Jonze listened to when writing the screenplay for "Where The Wild Things Are." I bought the album unaware of any of its connections with the film until I heard "Wake Up" and recognized it as the song on the commercial trailer. I had heard other singles from the band, including Intervention and Keep the Car Running, and waited way too long to buy The Funeral.

I was surprised to find out there are like 12 band members in Arcade Fire playing guitars, whistling, banging pots and pans and what have you; yet, it is surprisingly well-orchestrated its complexity only adds to the sound.

Go get this album if you don't already own it.