Ben Gibbard, The National and The Arcade Fire This Week
I must admit one of my favorite things about now living in New York City is the easy access to live music. Since I've been here(7 Months) I've seen Sufjan Stevens, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Midlake, The Shins, The Album Leaf, Cold War Kids, Bishop Allen, The Arcade Fire(3 times), The National, and Ben Gibbard. That's not all the shows but those are the big ones I can name off the top of my head. This past week was Ben Gibbard at Town Hall, and The Arcade Fire/National at Radio City Music Hall.
Ben Gibbard's show was full of The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, and some interesting covers. I wasn't too interested in the two openers because to be honest with you I've lost interest in plain guys with guitars. You have to win me over with something first before I'm just going to watch you stand there alone with a guitar. Gibbard is an exception because he has penned so many great tunes and I was actually interested in how he would perform them with just a guitar or piano. If anyone is interested you can bittorrent this show from dimedozen. You do need to be a registered member but that only takes a few seconds. Highlights from the show include "We Will Become Silhouettes", "You Remind Me Of Home", "All Apologize", and the cover of his own covered song "Such Great Heights". His songs sound just as beautiful simplified to his voice and a few chords as it does on any full LP he's released. Oh and remember this show was a "rare" solo performance according to the ticket I had.
The more extravagant show of the week was definitely the David Bowie Highline event at Radio City Music Hall. My friend and I showed up around 7:30 and were psyched to see we had 3rd row seats far stage right. I snagged the tickets only a week before the show on a lucky ticketmaster search. We were right next to the speakers so when The National came out it was pretty damn loud. The bass was overpowering but the lead singer, Matt, sang as intense as ever even with a bum ankle. The set list was a good mix of Alligator and Boxer songs with "About Today" as the closer. The always energetic "Abel", and "Mr. November" were my favorites but it was also nice to hear a bunch of the new tracks including my new favorite "Mistaken for Strangers". "About Today" had a great jam to end the set and the crowd was definitely warmed up and ready for The Arcade Fire.
The Arcade Fire came out a little after 9 and opened with "Keep The Car Running". This set list was definitely better than any of the Judson shows I went to back in February but lacked the intimacy. I was very happy to hear "Tunnels", "In The Backseat", and "Laika" for the first time for me live. Laika was amazing with the pounding and extreme energy all over and off the stage. As Berko put it the closer of "Wake Up" could have gone on forever. The crowd did sing the chant from Rebellion while the band left the stage until they came back out for "Intervention" but it wasn't nearly as great as "Wake Up". This was the first time I heard it "plugged in" because the only two other times I heard it acoustic in the crowd of Judson. I must say when they hit the first chord of it they ignited the crowded and left the stage with everyone begging for a second encore. The old songs were fantastic but I must say the most moving song of the night for me was "Antichrist Television Blues". There is a power to that song that gets me every time I hear it. All three times I've heard it live it has sent chills down my spine giving me the closest thing to a religious experience I'll have at a concert for a while. Go see these guys live if you are in one of their remaining touring city's. Sneak in if you have to.
Ben Gibbard's show was full of The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, and some interesting covers. I wasn't too interested in the two openers because to be honest with you I've lost interest in plain guys with guitars. You have to win me over with something first before I'm just going to watch you stand there alone with a guitar. Gibbard is an exception because he has penned so many great tunes and I was actually interested in how he would perform them with just a guitar or piano. If anyone is interested you can bittorrent this show from dimedozen. You do need to be a registered member but that only takes a few seconds. Highlights from the show include "We Will Become Silhouettes", "You Remind Me Of Home", "All Apologize", and the cover of his own covered song "Such Great Heights". His songs sound just as beautiful simplified to his voice and a few chords as it does on any full LP he's released. Oh and remember this show was a "rare" solo performance according to the ticket I had.
The more extravagant show of the week was definitely the David Bowie Highline event at Radio City Music Hall. My friend and I showed up around 7:30 and were psyched to see we had 3rd row seats far stage right. I snagged the tickets only a week before the show on a lucky ticketmaster search. We were right next to the speakers so when The National came out it was pretty damn loud. The bass was overpowering but the lead singer, Matt, sang as intense as ever even with a bum ankle. The set list was a good mix of Alligator and Boxer songs with "About Today" as the closer. The always energetic "Abel", and "Mr. November" were my favorites but it was also nice to hear a bunch of the new tracks including my new favorite "Mistaken for Strangers". "About Today" had a great jam to end the set and the crowd was definitely warmed up and ready for The Arcade Fire.
The Arcade Fire came out a little after 9 and opened with "Keep The Car Running". This set list was definitely better than any of the Judson shows I went to back in February but lacked the intimacy. I was very happy to hear "Tunnels", "In The Backseat", and "Laika" for the first time for me live. Laika was amazing with the pounding and extreme energy all over and off the stage. As Berko put it the closer of "Wake Up" could have gone on forever. The crowd did sing the chant from Rebellion while the band left the stage until they came back out for "Intervention" but it wasn't nearly as great as "Wake Up". This was the first time I heard it "plugged in" because the only two other times I heard it acoustic in the crowd of Judson. I must say when they hit the first chord of it they ignited the crowded and left the stage with everyone begging for a second encore. The old songs were fantastic but I must say the most moving song of the night for me was "Antichrist Television Blues". There is a power to that song that gets me every time I hear it. All three times I've heard it live it has sent chills down my spine giving me the closest thing to a religious experience I'll have at a concert for a while. Go see these guys live if you are in one of their remaining touring city's. Sneak in if you have to.
Labels: arcade fire national ben gibbard town hall radio city music hall concert review
posted by Magomra at 1:37 AM
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