Rewriteable Content

Friday, May 04, 2007

Arcade Fire @ Spreckles Theater in San Diego

Once again Braedon checks in with RC about the latest and greatest show he attended. I think these may be his best photos yet! Enjoy.

With a prominent tour for their second full length album, Neon Bible, the Arcade Fire have come out with guns blazing, and don’t seem to be stopping soon. The album is strong but it's their live performance that has kept them a few steps ahead of other indie bands. With a 10 piece band, the stage was well designed. a pipe organ in the back corner, with a keyboard in front, violinists, a brass section, a stand up bass, dobro….. Almost every band member switched instruments more than once. Win Butler stayed on vocals and varied between his electric, acoustic and mandolin. Régine Chassagne played almost every instrument on stage, ranging from drums, to vocals, to keyboard and organ, to accordion - while Richard Reed Parry, with his height and bright red hair was, as usual, the most animated on stage. He also shifted between instruments while screaming through megaphones and beating on drums.

The energy level built throughout the evening with a beautiful blend between songs from Funeral and Neon Bible. There was a bit more fire beneath songs from their former album, but that was expected when comparing the two. Like many other, I have a place in my heart for Neon Bible, but when comparing the first album to the second, you can see a similar vein but different direction. A little less energy, a bit more blues with ‘My Body is a Cage’, but still Arcade Fire.

Arcade Fire recorded Neon Bible throughout most of 2006 in an old church just outside of Montreal. The band claims to have worked harder for this album than any other time in their lives and are genuinely proud with the result. The album is hard to take off your iPod selection, and their concerts rank among the best of the year. Don’t miss them as they pass through your town.

[mp3] Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running