Arcade Fire

[EverythingChanges]

Looks like the most expensive seats are going to be $70.50 after fees.  I can definitely get on board with that.  I was assuming they were going to be pricier than that. 

[Jaimoe]

I don't mind 90-minute show, as long as they deliver. Wall-to-wall good tunes beat long concerts with lulls anytime. I've been to far too many 2:30-3hr shows that have me looking at my watch 90-minutes in.

[bartel]

$70 for the best seats plus $30 for the nose bleeds... I'm in.

[EverythingChanges]

I don't mind 90-minute show, as long as they deliver. Wall-to-wall good tunes beat long concerts with lulls anytime. I've been to far too many 2:30-3hr shows that have me looking at my watch 90-minutes in.

They could keep the main set down to 14ish songs, and then tack on two separate encores.  This would keep the momentum of the main set strong, while adding a few more songs on at the end. 

Basically, I want them to play long enough, so I have a better chance at hearing something good from Neon Bible.    Antichrist Television Blues would make me freak.

[oistheone]

Picked up some floor seats during the presale today -- pumped!

Though those preorder presale codes were complete bogus. Kept on pulling awful upper bowl seats. Snagged the GA floors using REFLEKTOR as a code instead of my personal code though, so all is well in the ticket-buying universe.

I may be in the minority but I think this dress code is hilariously awesome. You bet yer ass I'll be coming in costume! I wish more acts encouraged their fans to wear ridiculous get-ups to their shows.

[EverythingChanges]

Picked up some floor seats during the presale today -- pumped!

Though those preorder presale codes were complete bogus. Kept on pulling awful upper bowl seats. Snagged the GA floors using REFLEKTOR as a code instead of my personal code though, so all is well in the ticket-buying universe.

I may be in the minority but I think this dress code is hilariously awesome. You bet yer ass I'll be coming in costume! I wish more acts encouraged their fans to wear ridiculous get-ups to their shows.

I'm stoked about the dress code as well.  I can't seem to use REFLEKTOR as the presale.  I am trying to get tickets for the Cleveland show, but it is going through VIP Nation instead of Ticketmaster, and it appears to only offer an American Express presale thing.

[MMPJ6306]

I don't mind 90-minute show, as long as they deliver. Wall-to-wall good tunes beat long concerts with lulls anytime. I've been to far too many 2:30-3hr shows that have me looking at my watch 90-minutes in.

They could keep the main set down to 14ish songs, and then tack on two separate encores.  This would keep the momentum of the main set strong, while adding a few more songs on at the end. 

Basically, I want them to play long enough, so I have a better chance at hearing something good from Neon Bible.    Antichrist Television Blues would make me freak.

I saw them on the Suburbs tour at a festival- they had a short 75 minutes but it was only like 2 or 3 songs shorter than their stadium set that year. So unless they're really committed to this stylistic shift, I wouldn't hope for much longer than 90-100 minutes.

[kvgq420]

Pumped, just snagged floor tickets for the Philly show, can't wait. Album of the year!

[Jaimoe]

I just snagged presale floors (and two 300 level) for the AF's August 29th gig in Toronto at the Molson Amphitheatre! I will sell the 300s at face, but I'm in no hurry since this show will sell out, probably by the end of the day. They are already booked for two winter shows at the Air Canada Centre in the New Year, but I passed since I hate the venue and I'll be a dad around the same time.

[oistheone]

I URGE YOU TO GO TO THIS SITE RIGHT NOW:

http://www.thecurrent.org/listen

The Minneapolis show is being streamed LIVE in pristine quality and this band is ON FIRE, the groove sound TOO good!

I want to turn it off to preserve some surprise for when I see 'em on Thursday, but I just can't. What a fucking awesome band.

[timescaper]

I captured all of it in Apple Lossless and tracked it - I can share in a bit!  Set was mixed up a little from Louisville

[oistheone]

Holy fucking shit. Just got back from the Toronto show and accompanying after party. Jesus Christ, what a night!!! Two hours of Arcade Fire, then a nightcap in a tiny club with Owen Pallett, Phi Slamma Jamma and DJ Win Butler!!

Win was not talking to ANYONE while DJing and SOMEHOW my girlfriend convinced him to bust some Wu-Tang. YES! Best "Protect Ya Neck" EVER!!!

Phi Slamma Jamma and Win Butler busting out a cover of "Helter Skelter" at the after show may have been the best moment of my life.

Here's Phi Slamma Jamma doing "Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjT-tMau7w

And Arcade Fire (with "Rob Ford") playing "Normal Person":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F59hc5Zy30A

[dmooney99]

so i saw them last night. I wasn't originally gonna go cause of the prices but found a cheap floor ticket on craigslist for $50. Pretty awesome show. First opener was DJ Koala Bear (or something like that) was ok. Dan Deacon than came on. He was pretty awesome. We had dance contests and all  Arcade Fire came on around 8:50 or so and played for 2 hours. Nice variety of songs. Highlight for me was when the covered "Motownphilly" by Boyz II Men  '

set:
Reflektor
(instrumental outro tape)
My Body Is a Cage
(stripped down snippet; just ... more)
Reflektor
Flashbulb Eyes
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
Joan of Arc
Rococo
(w/ Lady Gaga's "Do What U Want" snippet)
The Suburbs
The Suburbs (Continued)
Ready to Start
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
We Exist
No Cars Go
Haïti
Afterlife
(w/ New Order's "Temptation" snippet)
It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)
(Régine on B-stage)
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
('Damian Taylor Remix' intro)

Encore:
The Twist
(Chubby Checker song) (Fake band on B-stage)
Normal Person
Motownphilly
(Boyz II Men cover)
Here Comes the Night Time
Wake Up

Arcade Fire- Motownphilly@ Wells Fargo Center

some pics:

[Derek713]

How is the whole "mandatory costumes" working out? Just curious since I am seeing them in a couple of weeks.

[oistheone]

Sweet pics! Takes me right back. Love me some confetti. And giant bobbleheads.

The dress code is far from mandatory. At the show I went to last week, I'd say 80% of people around me were dressed up or in costume, but I was on the floor, so I wouldn't be shocked if people in the bowl sections were less enthused about putting an outfit together. I dressed up and had a blast!

[EverythingChanges]

Dress up, it is a blast!

Also, the Cleveland show kicked serious ass!  They opened with Normal Person and never let up!

[rincon2]

Just saw Arcade Fire last night. They are not one of my favorites, but I liked them. Santa Barbara Bowl. Possibly the worst show I have ever paid to see. Opened up with about 17 people on stage and was a mass of indiscernible noise. Some of it was good, but does any rock band need 13 musicians, including 3 people playing keyboards at the same time? I had a musician friend who was in the pit front row, I was a few levels up. I told him it could have been all a backing tape and I could not have been able to tell. He said he agreed and he was right there. My love for MMJ, a band you can appreciate every member as they play, has just skyrocketed, and I did not think THAT was possible.

[Jaimoe]

Just saw Arcade Fire last night. They are not one of my favorites, but I liked them. Santa Barbara Bowl. Possibly the worst show I have ever paid to see. Opened up with about 17 people on stage and was a mass of indiscernible noise. Some of it was good, but does any rock band need 13 musicians, including 3 people playing keyboards at the same time? I had a musician friend who was in the pit front row, I was a few levels up. I told him it could have been all a backing tape and I could not have been able to tell. He said he agreed and he was right there. My love for MMJ, a band you can appreciate every member as they play, has just skyrocketed, and I did not think THAT was possible.

I've seen MMJ many times in concert and Arcade Fire just once, and Arcade Fire put on a better show (and MMJ are one of the best and most consistent live bands of the past 10-plus years and I'm a bigger fan of them than AF). That being said, I'm going again to see Arcade Fire in a few weeks in Toronto and I'm not expecting them to be better than their Neon Bible show, which ranks in my Top 5 all-time concerts. One reason is that the new album is busy and experimental, which is probably why the stage needs to be fleshed-out with many musicians, although they've always had a big lineup stretching back to their McGill University days.

As for backing tapes, they probably use some to capture the experimental aspect of the new album (many bands use loops and samples, even MMJ), but they are terrific live players even when scaled down.

[rincon2]

First off, I hope you enjoy the show. I have a strong feeling it will be very different from your past experience seeing them. Second, I never said they used tapes, I said if they did I could not tell, because the whole show could have been. It sounded like the music inside a club, half trance/half disco, with little separation of instruments. A few songs were pretty good, but Reflektor, which I like, and even liked the video, was soulless backbeat with some vocals. If you like guitar rock, even though you see a few guys holding them, don't expect to hear them much. Without being sarcastic, I would like to hear your reaction from the show you go to, even if you think my opinion is completely BS.
(90 bucks for 100 minutes of AF. Wiltern 2012 100bucks for 7.5 hours of MMJ over 3 nights)

[e_wind]

I really really wish I could get into this band, but I am surprised to hear that someone here thinks they're better than MMJ live. I guess I should see em?