Arcade Fire

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Band Summary

Average User Rating 9.36
Total Reviews 4
Last Reviewed August 20th, 2006
 
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All User Reviews
 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Arcade Fire Lights up small clubs
Venue/Date: Xcel Energy Center (Saint Paul, MN)
Concert Date:  September 30th, 2007
Reviewer: admin

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9.16
The neighbors can dance in the police disco lights


I had my worries that the Arcade Fire's transition from clubs to, uh, whatever it is that Roy Wilkins is might be a rocky one. After all, the thing I remember most about the Canadian indie-rock band's First Avenue show two years ago was when the 10-member group ducked the microphones and sang/shouted into the crowd, a move that was not only startling, it dissolved the barrier between the audience and the stage and truly made the show a communal experience.

Well, Sunday night's stunning performance, with brilliant openers LCD Soundsystem in tow, proved they've not only graduated to a larger scale with grace, the Arcade Fire could just as easily play a full arena. Seriously, these guys are one or two anthems away from becoming the next U2. The key similarities here are passion and joy, and conveying those emotions to an audience. And that's what the Arcade Fire have shown to be their greatest talents.

I found the band's sophomore album "Neon Bible" a bit dour and overblown, with the intimate, personal flourishes that made their 2004 breakthrough "Funeral" so incredible replaced by grander ideas that still somehow felt more like sketches than actual songs. Now, though, I feel like I need to give "Neon Bible" another chance. The show, like the album, opened with the one-two punch of "Black Mirror" and "Keep the Car Running," both of which blossomed on stage and set a frenetic pace that continued for most of the 90-minute set. Throughout, the band deftly bounced between both albums and, to be quite honest, the "Neon Bible" tracks provided most of the highlights.
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Arcade Fire Best Indie Band Right Now!
Venue/Date: Congress Theater (Chicago, IL)
Concert Date:  May 18th, 2007
Reviewer: admin

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9.38
Arcade Fire's rousing set moves heaven and hell
MUSIC REVIEW | Indie-rock band easily could have booked more nights
May 20, 2007
BY JIM DeROGATIS Pop Music Critic

Touring in support of their second full album, "The Neon Bible," Montreal's orchestral-pop heroes the Arcade Fire are arguably the most successful indie-rock band in the world today.

The husband-and-wife team of singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Win Butler and Regine Chassagne and their eight versatile bandmates sold out a three-night stand at the Chicago Theatre in a matter of minutes. (The mini-residency began Friday and concludes Sunday.) Judging from the prices scalpers were charging for tickets that originally sold for $31 (with a dollar going to a charity fighting AIDS and hunger in Africa), the group easily could have done an additional three nights here, and the same has been true across the country.

While "The Neon Bible" was a bit of a letdown after 2004's thrilling breakthrough release "Funeral," which has sold more than 300,000 copies to date, many of the new songs sounded better in concert than on album, as is typical for this group, and Friday's performance offered ample evidence of why the band has reached such exalted heights.

Powerful 90-minute set
Entering from the rear of the theater and walking down the center aisle to take the stage, the instrument-swapping lineup suffered from a sketchy mix through the first few songs as they incorporated ornate and baroque touches such as hurdy-gurdy, mandolin, French horn, tuba, trombone, two violins and even a scaled-down pipe organ, in addition to indie rock's standard bass, drums, guitar and synthesizer.
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Arcade Fire Brings Cred to the Music Business
Venue/Date: Greek Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
Concert Date:  May 28th, 2007
Reviewer: admin

      Venue Parking  
      Venue Security  
      Opening Band  
      Opening Song  
      Set List  
      Band Connection  
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      ConcertGoer Energy/Intensity  
      Sound Quality  
      Set and Lighting Design (SLD)  
      The Finish/Encore  
9.46
Arcade Fire grapples with expectations
Review: Arcade Fire's Greek opener was a cut above most any other show lately - but not the stuff of legend.
By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register

It would be unfair to deem Arcade Fire's show at the Greek Theatre on Tuesday night as anything less than great, for it was a resolutely strong performance that ranks head and shoulders above most offerings from the band's peers.

That much we anticipated, of course. One of the most important, impassioned bands to emerge in the past few years playing two sold-out nights at arguably the ideal So Cal venue to showcase the 10-member Canadian ensemble – what wouldn't be great about that?

Trouble is, we've quickly come to expect incredible things from this Montreal troupe every time out. And this time wasn't so incredible.

Partly such hype is a result of the group's mystique, which in this case has less to do with its trend-bucking neo-Big Country attire or how it can shroud songs and more to do with how and where the outfit has presented itself live.

Since its earliest L.A. club gigs, back when no one knew anything about the band, Arcade Fire has made relatively few local appearances, almost all of them designed for optimum "wow" factor. It has played Coachella twice – a breakout, now-legendary set in 2005, a remarkably rousing return this year. It has played the Hollywood Bowl, where the group stole the show from headliner and influence David Byrne. And it has endured an ill-advised afternoon turn at one of KROQ's Inland Invasions at Hyundai Pavilion in Devore, where winds and crowd indifference worked against the group's dynamic, dramatic approach.

That's it. This Greek stand, then, represents more than just the band's first major marquee-topping dates here. It's also one of few chances we've had to commune with these missionaries as part of a smaller congregation.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Arcade Fire is Heating Up
Venue/Date: Greek Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
Concert Date:  May 29th, 2007
Reviewer: admin

      Venue Parking  
      Venue Security  
      Opening Band  
      Opening Song  
      Set List  
      Band Connection  
      Band Energy/Intensity/Showmanship  
      ConcertGoer Energy/Intensity  
      Sound Quality  
      Set and Lighting Design (SLD)  
      The Finish/Encore  
9.43
Arcade Fire grapples with expectations
Review: Arcade Fire's Greek opener was a cut above most any other show lately - but not the stuff of legend.
By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register

It would be unfair to deem Arcade Fire's show at the Greek Theatre on Tuesday night as anything less than great, for it was a resolutely strong performance that ranks head and shoulders above most offerings from the band's peers.

That much we anticipated, of course. One of the most important, impassioned bands to emerge in the past few years playing two sold-out nights at arguably the ideal So Cal venue to showcase the 10-member Canadian ensemble – what wouldn't be great about that?

Trouble is, we've quickly come to expect incredible things from this Montreal troupe every time out. And this time wasn't so incredible.

Partly such hype is a result of the group's mystique, which in this case has less to do with its trend-bucking neo-Big Country attire or how it can shroud songs and more to do with how and where the outfit has presented itself live.

Since its earliest L.A. club gigs, back when no one knew anything about the band, Arcade Fire has made relatively few local appearances, almost all of them designed for optimum "wow" factor. It has played Coachella twice – a breakout, now-legendary set in 2005, a remarkably rousing return this year. It has played the Hollywood Bowl, where the group stole the show from headliner and influence David Byrne. And it has endured an ill-advised afternoon turn at one of KROQ's Inland Invasions at Hyundai Pavilion in Devore, where winds and crowd indifference worked against the group's dynamic, dramatic approach.

That's it. This Greek stand, then, represents more than just the band's first major marquee-topping dates here. It's also one of few chances we've had to commune with these missionaries as part of a smaller congregation.
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