Ooooh we used to wait....

So this is promised to be my last post (for awhile) about Arcade Fire, so in the spirit of that - this is an AFpolloza.



My man and I went to the show in Portland.

It was incredible.

I hate to say it, but I have postponed writing this blog for a bit. While I have calmed down a bit since then, it still blew my mind. We debated quite a bit about going, you know the story... school, work, pricy tickets, no one to watch the dog, too much driving in the middle of the night. Have you heard this story from me before? But of course, we made the same decision we always do, the right one to go. I am yet to regret a extravagant music related trip to Portland (and aren't they all music related?). Yes, I had to get picked up from school and eat at Subway on the way up. Yes, Floyd was in the car for more hours than I care to admit. Yes, we didn't get back to Eugene until almost 2am. Totally worth it.
The new album The Suburbs, is incredible. We did a whole radio show around it when it came out in August.
Calexico opened up, which we were excited about too, but I have to say - Arcade Fire came on and made those guys look like amateur night.
This band knows how to put on the show.
They started out with Ready to Start - no brainer, but what a perfect opener. The energy level was so high and maintained the whole night. I read a review later from this tour where they said AF finally has a show opener to match their fantastic closer (more later).
A concert is about the music, right? If I go see a show though, I want to be entertained. I want to see something cool as well. This band has a couple screens up behind them. At first I thought it was playing video of old shows, but then I realized there is no way it is synced up that good - it was live, but manipulated. Very cool stuff. And non-live crazy images too. Lots of instrument switching, which I love. Local Natives do that too and it's so impressive IMO.
One dude looked like Shaun White in a white jumpsuit. One guy looked like he might go nuts banging the drum which was obliterated during the closer - WAKE UP. Win's lady, looking like a middle schooler who was having the time of her life. And of course Win, he was phenomenal. Finally got my man to agree that he is one weird looking dude. And I mean that in the best possible way.
NOTE: If Win had walked out into the crowd at our school like he did in the video above, his freaky tallness would have walked right by us, I think. We were nice and close and dead center. But, he did do the tightrope security barrier walking... brave man. They played a lot of stuff from Suburbs of course, but lots from Funeral too. I wanted more from Neon Bible, but I really can't complain. I seem to be the only one who thinks that album is as good as the other two. But you know what, I was listening to it the other day and I changed it to the new one, so who knows? Maybe the popular opinion is right. Win made some comment about it being dangerous to be in Portland on a sunny day, because it makes him want to live there.
So the moral of the story is - go see these guys!

And check this out too - www.thewildernessdowntown.com
COOLEST.
I don't want to give it away, but it seriously made my day when I watched it. If you have five minutes and you want to do something neato and nostalgic this is the best bang for your (free) buck.

We have vegan voodoo donuts in Eugene now. Yum. I added this so I could have a fun thumbnail, because I took no pictures at the show.