The Wake

Canadian indie-rock outfit Arcade Fire has only been around since ‘03, but their live show has become the stuff of legends. Their September 30th show with LCD Soundsystem at St. Paul’s Roy Wilkins Auditorium showed the Twin Cities what all the fuss is about.

Dance-rock group LCD Soundsystem opened with a solid, energizing set. Their catchy sound, characterized by pulsing beats and repetitive lyrics, pulled the crowd in and got everyone moving. Songs like “Yeah” and “North American Scum” pumped up the volume and the excitement, and the disco ball added to the dance-club atmosphere. Frontman James Murphy revealed his self-aware sense of humor with dry onstage banter, half-mocking and half-embracing rock show clichés like taking a moment to introduce the band members or encouraging louder cheering from the audience. A few members of Arcade Fire joined the band onstage through out the set. The last song in the band’s set, jazzy ballad “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down,” proved that Murphy can croon as well as shout.

It’s easy to see why Arcade Fire’s show is supposed to be so amazing. Their orchestral sound, which adds strings, brass, and the occasional organ or hurdy-gurdy to the traditional guitars, drums, and keyboards, feels especially epic in an auditorium full of screaming fans. Their songs, with fairly simple lyrics and plenty of “oohs,” “heys,” and “ohs,” lend themselves well to singing (or roaring) along. It’s Arcade Fire’s infectious joy, though, their palpable passion and conviction that elevates their performance to greatness.

Many of the band members play multiple instruments, so they constantly move about the stage between and during songs. Even while attached to one instrument, the musicians are incredibly dynamic. Richard Reed Parry used drumsticks to pound on onstage motorcycle helmets during “Neighborhood 2 (Laika)” and at one point broke a cymbal; William Butler’s flailing throughout the show culminated in his running into the balcony and leaning over the railing to pound a drum during “Rebellion (Lies)”; and Régine Chassagne often sang as if shouting the lyrics angrily into the audience. While singing “Haiti,” a beautiful tribute to her war-torn homeland, Régine shimmied and swayed as if transported by the music beyond the auditorium.

Also notable about the band is their apparent humility. Although obviously assured in their music and certainly aware of their devotees’ adoration, the band members seemed very gracious. The smiles flitting regularly across frontman Win Butler’s face indicated that, despite the fact that he’s an indie icon whose fans nearly trample each other in an effort to touch him, he’s just glad to be doing what he loves for a living.

Arcade Fire’s set featured a mix of songs from their two full-length albums, 2004’s Funeral and 2007’s Neon Bible, slightly favoring the latter. They played one song from their 2003 self-titled EP, “Headlights Look Like Diamonds,” in their encore, which also delivered the jubilant signature piece “Wake Up” to eager fans.

Though the high-energy, charismatic band maintained a joyful rapport with the audience throughout the show, chatter between songs was kept to a minimum. Win Butler did offer a few quips to the Minnesota audience, introducing “Neighborhood 1 (Tunnels)” by joking, “This song is about a lot of fucking snow, so maybe you all can relate.”

The band’s social consciousness, especially regarding the country of Haiti, was apparent throughout the show. One dollar of every concert ticket for this tour goes to Partners in Health, which originated in Haiti and now works in impoverished nations worldwide. Partners in Health also accepted donations at the show and handed out material explaining Arcade Fire’s support for the organization. The band’s general concern for Haiti is also evident in the words on one of Win Butler’s guitars, “sak vide pa kanpe,” a proverb which in Creole means “that which is empty cannot stand up.”

Between their social awareness and their beguiling personas, their forceful stage presence and above all their absolutely magnificent music, Arcade Fire are clearly some of the beautiful people. Any chance to see them live should be taken at all costs.