Radiohead- Key Arena (9/04/12)

So it's been a few days, and I've had some time to reflect on seeing the band in Seattle on the second leg of their current tour. The build up and release of emotions throughout the day took some time to get over; my appetite and sleep schedule is slowly returning to normal!

Our transit plans were finalized late the night before, and with passports in tow, we embarked from Pacific Central Station with 4 hours of sleep each. We arrived at the Greyhound station in downtown Seattle, tired, hot and hungry after the early morning, 4 hour bus ride. Groggily, we decided to tourist it up and visit the first Starbucks store and mill about in Pike Place Market. It was the first time I had been to America on my own, and one of my friend's first time setting foot in the country. Amazed and giittery from the feeling of American exceptionalism (or at least I was), we headed to the Sanitary Market for cajun po boys and fallafels.

General Admission line up at 2:30

Key Arena prohibited lining up before 2 pm, so we arrived shortly after acquiring wonderful snacks (cheap specialty root beer!), only to find a surprisingly long line and an honour system of numbers sharpied on people's hands. A woman at the front of the line had devised a catalogue of names and numbers to ensure people's place for General Admission. We were told come back an hour before doors open, and that the numbers scrawled on our hands would ensure our 64th place in line. Like typical Canadians, we were skeptical but overwhelmingly gullible. We left in a huff of excitement and proceeded to explore the Queen Anne neighbourhood.

The first stop was Easy Street Records, an emporium of well priced cds, magazines and records that any vinyl geek could spend hours in. I was severely tempted by a vinyl re issue of Sebadoh's Bakesale that I've never seen in shops in Vancouver, as well as a pricey copy of The Microphone's The Glow Pt. 2. After perusing the store, we slowly began to discuss the credibility of the sharpie wielding woman at the front of the line. It dawned on us that the system was an utter sham, thus ending our leisurely pre concert flâneurism.

Waiting...
Photo credit  vondutch748

Settled back in line, we quickly befriended fans from Los Angeles and Phoenix. Our discussions immediately focused on the 2008 Hollywood Bowl show that featured True Love Waits, which they were fortunate enough to see. I've never had a line waiting experience that has been better than discussing Radiohead for hours with an interesting group of people. The age span and diversity of the attendees was vast. It was fantastic to be a part of.

As always, the mad dash to the GA area when doors finally opened involved much stress, swearing and pushing. Radiohead's desire for paperless tickets meant that credit cards were relied on for entry into the arena. We saw several people who were turned away at the front of the line due to malfunctions. I glanced at the merch table in a hurry to the arena floor, and was severely disappointed. The 2012 tour shirts are tacky and obvious in contrast to the In Rainbows tour shirts, which I adore. The band is offering limited, city specific posters and t shirts, and would be the only items worth lining up for. The rest can be ordered on W.A.S.T.E (but after numerous issues with  the newspaper album in the summer, I'd be wary). After several more hours of waiting, Other Lives went on stage for a short, but pleasant set. The general consensus among my group of friends was that they were definitely the type of band that would open for Radiohead. We were ready for the big act.

I had purposefully avoided looking up set lists and videos from their previous leg; I wanted the sense of anticipation and surprise. The band entered the stage to thunderous applause, and opened the set with Bloom, which, along with Feral, surpassed their studio versions when played live. Morning Mr. Magpie, a song that I appreciate but have honestly never loved, proved enjoyable in a concert setting, leaving Little By Little to be my least favored King of Limbs tracks. Lotus Flower was an almost divine song to witness; the audience screamed along the words and danced as the music swept over us. I had mixed sentiments before the show as to how the newer songs would compare as an overall experiance, but they were more than familiar, and the band has gone to great lengths to perfect them live.

A ponytailed Thom Yorke

What truly made the experience surreal was the LED displays. Throughout the show, in varying positions for each song, the screens projected the band in gorgous colours. It was the best audio visual set up I've ever seen, and the colours that were used enhanced the music extremely well. A perfect example was during Lucky, captured superbly in a stranger's video, and what might be one of the best moments of the entire show for me. Thom seemed to be in a wonderful mood; he cheekily toyed with the audience during The Daily Mail, and enthusiastically danced during songs like Idioteque and 15 Step. I was shocked to hear These Are My Twisted Words, a songs played only 9 times previously; my friends and I had even joked about the likelihood that it would make an appearance on the set list. As assumed, the In Rainbows tracks, in particular, Nude, were phenomenal, and are a testament to how well the album has aged. Perhaps the greatest surprise to me was seeing How To Disappear Completely played live, the song I proudly declare to be my favourite song of all time. I couldn't help but get a tad emotional hearing the song that means the world to me be played mere feet away, surrounded by massive Radiohead fans and my closest friends. It's a feeling I'll never forget.

As for the setlist, it's now a playlist!! Jonny was having hand problems (discovered after a dedication of Everything In It's Right Place from Thom), so Bodysnatchers was switched out for You and Whose Army?. Perhaps the greatest surprise among the new songs was Identikit, which was between Nude and Lotus Flower. It features a fantastic duel drum kit beat and Ed on vocals. It might be my favourite of the King of Limbs era new songs, and you can tell Thom loves it as well. A sign of great things to come. Overall, the King of Limbs songs pleasantly flowed with the favourites. I really enjoyed the set list organization, another example of the amount of thought Radiohead puts into their live shows. 

For those that attended the show, or anyone who enjoys high quality live stuff, there is a great bootleg from Radiohead Not For Profit. Be warned: it's in FLAC..

This Easter, I'm seeing Radiohead..

I'm going to be completely honest, they're my favorite band, and that is an understatement.

They have held that title since I first listened to The Bends when I was 14, falling in love with the song Just. The cynicism of the lyrics juxtaposed to gorgeous guitar riffs made complete sense to me. A seemingly simple alternative rock guitar album, it would lead me to adoringly obsess over 5 middle age English musicians and change how I understand music entirely. Was it OK Computer, in my view one the best albums of the 1990's, that cemented my appreciation, after listening for hours to the cd on my walkman riding the bus in highschool? Perhaps Kid A, an album that I would put on every night for a year as I went to bed, lulling me to sleep at a point in my life where I needed nothing more than an escape to the lush electronica of what I pronounce to be my favourite record of all time. The anecdotes are endless.

I've sang There, There with a room full of strangers played perfectly on an acoustic guitar as someone cried. I paid $0.00 for In Rainbows on WASTE. I've watched Scotch Mist released on New Years Eve, 15 Step on the Grammys, and countless hours of concert footage. I've tracked tour set list data, desperately tried to learn alternative tuning, and seriously contemplated spending thousands to see every live show on the West Coast. I based an entire grade 12 English project relating the band's lyrics to 1984. I've skipped a university English class to stand in line for The Universal Sigh on my friend's birthday, only to be told my city was the only one to have them delayed, and then return the next day. I've walked at midnight with my closest friend crying to How to Disappear Completely, and wandered my university campus screaming I Might Be Wrong with my best friends after a night at the pub. I've bought and given Radiohead literature. The phrase "Lotus Flower Time" has become ingrained in my lexicon. I've purchased the newspaper album, 10" singles, and limited run, UK edition, disc 2 versions of the No Surprises single. I'll never forget listening to The King of Limbs at 5 am when it was released early online, an album I will forever associate with one of the most memorable years of my life. I've started friendships solely on the fact that we share a love of Radiohead. Their music saved my life at a time when I experienced soul crushing depression, and I've never seen them live.

From Pablo Honey to Ok Computer, Kid A to In Rainbows, and The King of Limbs to whatever Thom, Jonny, Phil, Colin, and Ed dream up next, there is not a band currently making music that has explored and pioneered such a diverse range of musical ideas. Jazz, dubstep, reggae, and classical have all been referenced with grace and respect, whilst pushed to their boundaries and encompassed by Thom Yorke's lyrics of interpersonal anguish that resonate deeply with those who have skirted the periphery of society. I've waited for what has seemed like an eternity to stand with 20,000 other fans of the greatest band in the world. On April 9th, I'll cross a border, drive three hours, wait for in line for seven, and scream along to every word. I'll try and keep it together, because it's Radiohead.

Here's a playlist of my favourite songs I'll probably never hear live.