photos: LCD Soundsystem + Arcade Fire
Held as part of “Dawg Days”, the Gossip, LCD Soundsystem, and Arcade Fire helped to welcome UW students [back] to campus two nights before the start of the academic year. For those of us not headed off to class on Wednesday but who nonetheless headed over to the edge of campus, it served as the unofficial kickoff to the cool evenings of autumn and the beginning of a jam-packed season of more shows that we know what to do with.
The kids, they start on time. When we arrived about an hour after the time printed on our tickets, the Gossip was long finished and LCD Soundsystem was already well into their set (I thought I heard them playing “Someone Great” while my bag was being checked). I don’t remember what I did a few days before my first undergraduate year began, but I’m certain that it wasn’t as momentous as humanist dance party under a giant glittering disco ball thrown by James Murphy followed immediately by a series triumph through despair, nostalgic, motivational speeches set to tempestous music by Arcade Fire.
Although reactions were much grumpier from the stands (Hec Ed instituted a bracelet system, whereby the first 2,000 people were admitted to the floor and the rest were relegated to the nosebleeds), I couldn’t help thinking, as I always do when seeing the Arcade Fire, of Matthew Derbey’s “Not Enough Protection From the Song” [believer] and finding it ever more impossible to believe that the band ever played anything other than amphitheaters, vast showrooms, and basketball arenas. I have seen them at least a half-dozen times, and the effect has yet to wear off. By the end I am always trying not to sing along too loudly and screaming “Lies” along with the band during “Rebellion”.
This time, with the occasion of students marching off to a new year, meeting what are likely to be lifelong friends, pumping fists enthusiastically, dancing in the crowd as Win dives among them, Will scales the scaffolding, Richard tries to destroy anything in reach of his drumsticks, Regine furiously rotates between Hurdy Gurdy, accordion, and sining duties, in the background violins, saxophones, french horns swell, and the image of Jeremy Gara happily drumming projected against the giant curtain, the show and lyrics like “is it a dream? is it a lie? i think i’ll let you deceide”, “hold your mistakes up”, “sleep is giving in”, and seem all the more momentous. Definitely more memorable than whatever they say at convocation.
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apparently they don’t just start on time, they start early! even though the tickets said 7:30, doors were at 6:30??? sucks.
I am still so, so disappointed by the clusterfuck hat trick of starting before the printed times, the not-so-great sound, and the whole wristband debaucle. Not a very good start to the best show season of the year.
from the sounds of the internet, everyone sounds awfully disappointed by the show. I guess, I’m even more glad that I ended up with the 2,000 or so people on the floor who had a great time.
either way you look at it, though, having the start time before the start time was lame. poor, the Gossip. I’m sure they had a warmer reception for their post-show DJ set.
It was a bit disappointing not to be able to get on the floor, but the show was really incredible and well worth the drive down to Seattle. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see all of LCD’s set but we knew that we were going to be late, so I’m not quite clear on how there was confusion about the start time if we Vancouverites knew about the right start time.
Having said that, shows starting early isn’t cool though neither are shows that start two hours after doors open like the They Might Be Giants show at the Commodore last night.
I realized we got our time for the show off of the Facebook event, and that was why it was correct where as other times posted might have been wrong.