I hesitate to say that I can die happy now, because that would mean that my life has peaked relatively early, but Radiohead can officially do no wrong in my book.
If you have not seen them live, please get on that. It is an experience not to be missed, especially on this tour. The LED lights they use are a bunch of rods that fall across the entire stage and colors are reflected in them from huge spotlights at the top. When they light up with each different song, it's phenomenal.
And that's not even mentioning the band itself. It was a surreal beginning: "Do I smell donuts? Who would be eating donuts at a time like this?" was the first thing Thom Yorke said to the crowd before launching into "All I Need". It took us a good ten minutes to realize he was referring to the funnel cakes being sold at a kiosk nearby. Yorke was especially enjoying himself. During "You and Whose Army?" he looked up into the camera that shows each band member on a huge screen on the stage for the people (like me) who got stuck with lawn seats and made faces at everyone and wiggled his eyebrows. His dance moves alone are priceless. Words can't describe them, so I'll let you see them:
Footage from Idioteque
The setlist was incredible. 25 songs, about two hours, and two encores. Add in the three-song punch of Myxomatosis, My Iron Lung, and There There (three of my top ten Radiohead songs) and I was a very happy girl by the end of the night. The songs from "In Rainbows" translate very well live, especially the more up-tempo ones like 15 Step and Bodysnatchers. Even though I was on the lawn of the venue and had limited viewing of the band, their energy throughout the night was amazing. The weather finally cooperated too, considering it's been raining for about two weeks straight in St. Louis. The moon and stars were out, adding an ethereal quality to already haunting songs like Weird Fishes/Arpeggi and Fake Plastic Trees.
The lawn-ers even got Exit Music (For A Film) dedicated to us, since pretty much everyone held up their lighters/cell phones. I share that with the thousands of other people that were there dancing in the mud with me, but still, how many other people can say that?
The night ended with a ridiculously good version of Paranoid Android, and about 18,000 very happy St. Louisans went home. Until next time, then.
Fake Plastic Trees
Pictures taken from here.
My Trusted MOGs
SET LIST:
01. All I Need 02. Jigsaw Falling Into Place 03. Airbag 04. 15 Step 05. Nude 06. Kid A 07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi 08. The Gloaming 09. You And Whose Army? 10. Idioteque 11. Faust Arp 12. Videotape 13. Everything In Its Right Place 14. Reckoner 15. Optimistic 16. Bangers and Mash 17. Bodysnatchers
Encore One: 18. Exit Music (For A Film) 19. Myxomatosis 20. My Iron Lung 21. There There 22. Fake Plastic Trees
Encore Two: 23. Pyramid Song 24. House of Cards 25. Paranoid Android
My Trusted MOGs
Sounds awesome!
My Trusted MOGs
i've seen radiohead a couple of times and it's always such a pleasure that they play for so long! reading this has got me itching to see them again sometime.
My Trusted MOGs
I am so jealous of every city that came after Atlanta. They improved their set lists so dramatically. The only 3 songs I would miss that they played for us and not at the others were How To Disappear Completely, Just, and National Anthem. GAAA!! I'm seeing them at Lollapalooza too, though, hopefully they'll keep the current set list they have going for that. Or play even more. Even still, having seen Radiohead live is something I'm grateful enough for! They are the best band in the universe, in my opinion.
My Trusted MOGs
Great review. I love his out-of-control dancing too. Very Ian Curtis. And that's one might set they play. You've really whetted my appetite. They play my town next month...
My Trusted MOGs
Great write-up of the show. I've got tickets to the White River Amphitheater show near Seattle in August. I'm looking forward to seeing what they're doing with the lighting this time around - it looks interesting.
My Trusted MOGs
That was a brilliant show. I had lawn seats because I had a posse with me.