September 29, 2010

Concert: Arcade Fire x 'The Suburbs' x Pacific Coliseum

Arcade Fire with Calexico live in concert at Pacific Coliseum on September 28, 2010.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Arcade Fire experienced live is truly magnetic. The breadth and feel of their expansive, eclectic music comes alive on stage.

Calexico | Pacific Coliseum

Opening act Calexico made for a great start last night at the Pacific Coliseum in East Vancouver. Their alernative Tex-Mex folk stylings were a great contrast to Arcade Fire's sheer intensity.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Calexico performed a straightforward set going from song to song with little to no breaks. It was an inviting performance, warming the sparce crowd that slowly trickled in late, vintage Vancouver fashion.

Arcade Fire | Pacific ColiseumArcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

On the floor, kids young and old alike started buzzing as Arcade Fire took the stage shrouded in darkness.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

The beginnings of "Ready to Start" sparked an electric feeling as the massive act took the stage.

Arcade Fire | Pacific ColiseumArcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum
"Vancouver is like our sister city!"
Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

This was one of the few phrases Win Butler shouted aloud.

Arcade Fire | Pacific ColiseumArcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

By the third song, most of the band members were already drenched in their own sweat.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

The sheer energy and enthusiasm with which they played every song was intoxicating.

Arcade Fire | Pacific ColiseumArcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Each song flowed into the next with bravado as the variety of their tracks makes for a great set list going from sweet ballads to exuberant rock songs.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Their encore of "Wake Up" closed the night fittingly just as "Read to Start" opened it.

Arcade Fire | Pacific ColiseumArcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

The show itself was professional and solid, but the performances on the whole were another thing entirely.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

It is difficult to describe the instensity and presence of Arcade Fire live.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Between songs, everyone is running around, changing instruments.

Arcade Fire | Pacific ColiseumArcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Their shows are all about the music.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Arcade Fire left everything on stage.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

The mix of melancholic, breezy songs complimented the brazen energy of their rock anthems very well.

Arcade Fire | Pacific ColiseumArcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

The raw energy from their live performances make them one of the more premiere concert acts and one of the best live performers around.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

The evening was electric and their music comes even more alive standing ten feet away from the Montreal band of musical misfits.

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Setlist:
1) Ready to Start 2) Neighborhood #2 (Laïka) 3) No Cars Go
4) Haiti 5) Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Arcade Fire | Pacific ColiseumArcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

6) Modern Man 7) Rococo 8) The Suburbs
9) The Suburbs (Continued) 10) Suburban War 11) Intervention

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

12) We Used to Wait 13) Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
14) Rebellion (Lies) 15) Month of May 16) Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

Arcade Fire | Pacific Coliseum

Encore:
1) Keep the Car Running 2) Wake Up

Note: Read my concert review on the CBC Radio 3 blog. A couple of my photos made the Georgia Straight online edition here and here.

More | YVArcadeThe Suburbs

3 reactions:

iris said...

You should totally post the setlist :)

David said...

To learn about some of the spiritual aspects "hidden" in Arcade Fire's music, check out:

A Neon Bible Study
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07030103.htm

and

Arcade Fire:
Sermon by John Van Sloten (New Hope Church, Calgary)

http://www.newhopechurch.ca/page.php?pgid=search&id=searchbrowse&movieid =696

larissng said...

Looks like an amazing concert, I wanted to see them so bad! Me and my friend were trying to get tickets for the 26th in Calgary, but couldn't :(

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