2008 Woodie Awards
Arcade Fire: Headlights look like diamonds
Justin Ricci
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: Entertainment
The Arcade Fire's Funeral from 2004 is the last album that made me say "Wow." Everything about it was amazing, from Win Butler's ferocity on "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" through the gentle reminiscence of Regine Chassagne's voice on "In the Backseat." Each and every song captured my imagination and its emotion just poured out. After each listen, something new is heard and experienced. This is what makes a great album. This is why I listen to music. So, when I read that The Arcade Fire would be playing their hometown (Montreal) for five nights straight at a building I've never heard of (Ukrainian National Federation), I knew I had to get tickets. That early December morning I was fortunate enough to purchase the maximum of two tickets for the Thursday, February 8, show. I called and attempted to get two more tickets for Saturday night so I could go with my sister, but to no avail. As the friendly man on the phone said in response to my inquiry about acquiring Saturday's tickets, "I bet you are." All five shows sold out in less than five minutes. The five shows in London and New York also sold out in less than five minutes.
From reading reviews of 2005's Coachella Festival, The Arcade Fire stole the show from Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay, among others. The show descriptions had been phenomenal and it was finally my chance to see them-in their hometown at a pre-tour tuning show. The new album, Neon Bible, is released March 6 by Merge Records. These five night stints are the band's way of becoming familiar again with each other and with the new songs before they hit the road on the big international tour.
Finally, February 8. We make the drive to Montreal with little trouble. The snow begins to fall lightly, glittering beautifully in the neon lights and street lamps of Montreal's Mile End (a residential district that has put out the most amazing bands of the last five years). It was my first trip into the Mile End. This is the part of town with the fabled recording studio Hotel2Tango. This is where Godspeed You! Black Emperor formed and spawned countless other bands. This is where those bands became my favorites of the last five years. The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Hot Hot Heat, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, The Unicorns, Islands, and Metric all poured out into the world from Mile End. It's as if we should give all the skinny kids in Montreal instruments.
From reading reviews of 2005's Coachella Festival, The Arcade Fire stole the show from Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay, among others. The show descriptions had been phenomenal and it was finally my chance to see them-in their hometown at a pre-tour tuning show. The new album, Neon Bible, is released March 6 by Merge Records. These five night stints are the band's way of becoming familiar again with each other and with the new songs before they hit the road on the big international tour.
Finally, February 8. We make the drive to Montreal with little trouble. The snow begins to fall lightly, glittering beautifully in the neon lights and street lamps of Montreal's Mile End (a residential district that has put out the most amazing bands of the last five years). It was my first trip into the Mile End. This is the part of town with the fabled recording studio Hotel2Tango. This is where Godspeed You! Black Emperor formed and spawned countless other bands. This is where those bands became my favorites of the last five years. The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Hot Hot Heat, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, The Unicorns, Islands, and Metric all poured out into the world from Mile End. It's as if we should give all the skinny kids in Montreal instruments.
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