At 4 p.m. yesterday, my friends and I buttoned up our pearl snaps, strapped on our cowboy boots and embarked on our journey up north to The Backyard in Austin.
On the way to the venue, we broke the age-old hipster code and listened to The Suburbs in the car. "This show is going to be amazing," my friend Joe said. "It's probably going to change our lives." At the time, this seemed like a cliché overstatement, but he actually wasn't too far off.
We pulled up to The Backyard at 5:00 and quickly finished our delicious Jimmy John's sandwiches before getting in line. Once the gates opened at 6:00, we rushed in and set up camp in a spot that offered optimal visibility.
Trust me. The spot was strategic.At 7:00, some Austin band called Schmillion took the stage. Were they any good? No. Should I waste our precious time by writing about them? No.
Really, this picture says it all. Moving on...At 7:30, Explosions In the Sky finally graced the stage. Now this was an Austin band that people wanted to see.
"We call ourselves 'lucky,' but everybody else calls us Explosions In the Sky." After these opening remarks, EITS began their sonically perfect set with The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place's opening track, "First Breath After Coma." Guitars ridden with heavy delay and the kick drum in full-effect, the band's performance was a welcome homecoming treat.
For an instrumental band, EITS knew how to put on an excellent live show. The five members all wildly flailed and thrashed about on stage while keeping precise time with their instruments. The emotions they placed into their post-rock tunes were clearly evident. Every note was intentional. There were no bells or whistles- what you saw is what you got.
As the sun began to set at 8:20, Explosions In the Sky closed with my personal favorite track, "The Only Moment We Were Alone." The triumphant climax was met with unadulterated applause from their hometown.
Explosions In the Sky (and fans)Once the sun completely set, a movie theater marquee with the words "Coming Soon: Arcade Fire" ominously glowed over the audience. The air was electric.
At 9:00, a video screen played a fake "Coming Attraction" trailer. The crowd collectively lost their minds. After the trailer, it was on to the "Feature Presentation."
At 9:00, a video screen played a fake "Coming Attraction" trailer. The crowd collectively lost their minds. After the trailer, it was on to the "Feature Presentation."
Win Butler and company stepped out onto the stage with all the confidence of a band who just won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Arcade Fire began their set with the (appropriate) driving track, "Month of May," which they seamlessly transitioned into "Rebellion (Lies)."
To call Win Butler's stage presence "intense" would be an understatement. The same could be said of the entire eight-piece band. Remember that feeling you got when you first listened to Funeral way back in 2004? Their entire performance was like that but infinitely multiplied.
Arcade Fire
In an era where music can often be disappointing and tiresome, it was refreshing to see a band that actually cared. Winning a Grammy hasn't made them pretentious; they really love playing live music, and it shows.
The nuances and emotions of every song flawlessly transferred into their live show. From the band's frustration with the conventionalism of the suburban lifestyle to the semi-religious-feeling hope some of their songs give off, the tones were perfectly portrayed through the excellent use of lighting and video.
Arcade Fire spread their set list out over their full-length catalog with adept choices. The list contained highlights from each album, and the crowd was substantially pleased.
"Well, all good things must come to an end," said Butler as the band began to play the final song of their main set, "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)." Of course, they returned for a high-energy encore performance of (the somewhat ironically placed) "Ready to Start," "Wake Up" and "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)."
Win's final words to the audience were: "You have no idea how good you have it here. Keep it good." After witnessing a performance like that, it shouldn't be hard to do, Mr. Butler. At least, until Broken Social Scene comes through town.
