"It's like I've fallen out of bed from a long, weary dream..."
I got to the Comcast Center with my group at around 4:00. We left early so we wouldn't get stuck in rush hour traffic. Sitting by the gates, we could hear Radiohead doing their sound test. Some of the songs they played included "Everything in its Right Place", "Bodysnatchers", and "Go to Sleep". Two of these songs managed to be included in that night's set list. The fact that we could hear them from where we were was a sign of things to come, even if we couldn't make out Thom Yorke's words. The faded sounds of the band's music was enough to make my acquaintance and I very excited.
Looking around me, I noticed that the Comcast Center was located in an incredibly forested area. Having never been there before, this was a completely new experience for me. Radiohead picked a good place to promote something as nature-friendly as The King of Limbs. The weather at that point was perfect where it was as well. No signs of thunderstorms yet.
Once we were finally let inside, I scrambled to find my seat in section 7. The maps online didn't give me a good idea as to how the stage would look from my point-of-view, so I held my breath until I found my seat. Turns out I had a really good spot. I could see the stage clearly from where I was sitting.
The show opened up with Caribou's set. This was the first time I'd ever listened to their music, so I was completely open to them.. The style of music they played tied into Radiohead's electronically-driven beats, so it wasn't something completely random. The band's mixture of post-rock and electronica may have sounded muffled at times, but the rhythm in their music made my heart feel like it was going to beat out of my chest. I was disappointed by the fact that their set was so short, since I wanted to get more of a taste of their music. Caribou isn't a band that I would check out on my own, but hearing them live was a treat.
It wasn't long until Radiohead performed their set. They went on at around 8:40 p.m. At that point, I was screaming in a way that I've never screamed over a concert before. Hearing that chirping chorus of Thom Yorke's voice samples set something off and I was ready for the night of my life.
To make things easier, here's a song-by-song recap:
1. "Bloom" - Opener of the show. Out of all the versions I've heard on the tour thus far, this version was my favorite. The rhythm of the song swung back and forth while not being too overbearing. It also seemed more melodic than usual, or maybe it was just me. The panels on the top of the stage rippled with images of the band's instruments with each power chord on the guitar. Colin Greenwood's bassline finished off the song nicely.
2. "15 Step" - "Greetings", Thom says before launching into this track. For some reason, Thom has a tendency to start singing the song in a different key at times, but here, he was singing in exactly the same key as the album version. The tone on Jonny's guitar was rich and smooth, and to hear it live was one of the highlights of my night. Thom's rising falsetto blended in with the instrumentation incredibly well.
3. "Airbag" - Thom softly thanked the audience before letting the band shock everyone with the opening chords of this track. I wasn't expecting them to play this so early in the show. Even with some of the more electronic instrumentation of the album version stripped away, there was still an air of coolness to the performance. The sound of Jonny's French Connection was subtle, but still made notable improvements to the performance.
4. "Staircase" - Thom introduced this one as a "new song", leading me to believe that he would play something like "Full Stop". The arrangement of the panels was clever, setting them up so they looked like two flights of stairs. The performance was incredibly mellow. A nice change of pace from the high energy of the previous 2 tracks.
5. "The Daily Mail" - A "sort-of" new song, as suggested by Thom. When I saw the road crew bring out the piano, I knew magic was going to happen. The acoustics of the place made the piano and Thom's voice ring out with an incredible purity. That moment of serenity paired with the progressive stylings of the hard rock interlude made for one of the best performances of the night.
6. "Myxomatosis" - Judging by the notes that the band fiddled around with after "Mail", I knew that they were going to play this one. Thom went into one of his political musings before going into the song. With the way he danced, I could have sworn that the soul of Joy Division's Ian Curtis took possession of his body. Thom was just as into the fist-pumping as most of the audience. Whether he was the one who started it or the audience is a line that was blurred. A good example of the band's connectivity with their audience.
7. "The Gloaming" - Much more different than the album version in that it had a more intense finale. I'm glad the band adapted the song for their live performances like that, since it's more trance-like and hypnotic on the album. The lighting was incredibly eerie and it fit the song well. Thom was bouncing all over the place like last time. How he still had the energy to do that is beyond me.
8. "Separator" - This version of the song seemed light compared to the other versions I'd heard. There was an air of nostalgia to it. The lighting during the song seemed to help with that a little. Since I was looking for someone while they were playing, I wasn't able to settle down and give the song a good listen.
---During "Separator", I got a text from a family friend who told me to meet him at the front of section 7. He was going to give me his seat because he wanted to rest from the show a little. As it turned out, he was more tired than he thought, so he left the show altogether and let me keep his seat for the rest of the night. It was a seat in section 2 that was 4 rows from the pit, dead center.
I was directly parallel from Thom Yorke. Now I was really ready to have fun.---
9. "Pyramid Song" - A chilling rendition of the song. Thom's wailing combined with Jonny's "guitar-cello" and the piano created a highly ethereal atmosphere. I didn't think I was on Earth anymore. Jonny's control on the guitar with the cello bow was incredibly precise and structured, caressing the neck of the guitar with care and concentration.Listening to the song was almost like I was swimming in a sea of light and sound. Speaking of which...
10. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" - This was Ed's time to shine, since the whole audience waited in anticipation to sing the backing vocals with him. The lighting made the band look like they were playing the concert underwater. Despite playing the guitar, Thom was still as into the song as ever. The acoustics of the place made the guitar parts cascade around the audience.
11. "Morning Mr. Magpie" - An electrifying performance from the band. Even with its place on the drum-and-bass inspired King of Limbs, it still had a solid rock element to it. What started off as another rock number broke off into something psychedelic and hypnotic. The way the panels faded in and out added to the echos of the number.
12. "Identikit" - I was more than excited to hear this unreleased track live for the first time. Ed's vocals seemed more prominent than ever, and it was nice to hear him so clearly. There was also a synth-sounding part at the beginning that I wasn't too familiar with, but it added a spacier atmosphere to the song and gave me an experience that was different from listening to the song via YouTube and the Coachella Live Stream. While Ed stood steadfast singing his part, Thom did this sort of seductive dance as he was singing. The synth interlude in the song reminded me of the band's work off of Hail to the Thief, which made me feel nostalgic in a way. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the song was somewhat spoiled by a man smoking weed next to me, with the smoke blowing right in my face.
13. "Lotus Flower" - Probably my favorite number of the night. From the first note, the Comcast Center practically exploded. The bass from the song rattled throughout my body. This might have also been the point where I looked up and saw an intense look of determination on Phil Selway's face. When the band got to the "slowly we unfurl" part, the stage was illuminated in shades of white and orange and gave it an otherworldly glow. With the way Thom moved and sang, he looked as if he had just descended from the heavens to sing for the crowd. I was completely frozen during that part. Listening to that song live proved its worth as a solid work from a band. It was no ordinary dance tune.
14. "There There" - The audience murmured to each other as the band crew brought out two sets of drums. A good portion of them knew what was coming. Ed and Jonny were completely synchronized in their drumming and led the audience in a clap-along. This version of the song was very identical to the studio version. Very haunting, with the low lights reflecting dark presence of the track. Once the song kicked into gear at the end, the audience was practically swept off their feet. The build in that song was incredible to hear live.
15. "Feral" - Not one of the strongest numbers of the night, though the percussion work in it was very impressive. I'm glad the band brought someone like Clive Deamer along with them. The drumming bounced around and absorbed the vocal chimes made by Thom during the performance. I wasn't able to take any good photos of the performance, which is why it's missing from my album.
16. "Idioteque" - I was amazed I could barely recognize this one until the synth riff came in at the beginning. The beat was probably different from the studio version, that's why. During this song, Thom practically became one with the music, with Ed acting as vocal support to make sure he can come back down to Earth. The panels had an interesting color scheme to them, which worked with the lighting in the back nicely. At the very end of the song, Thom moved as if he was freed from his trance. By that performance, I can tell that the band likes playing that one a lot.
17. "Supercollider" - This song began the first of two encores. This is another song that I wasn't too fond of, so I couldn't get all that into the performance. It didn't seem to move me as much as the other numbers. One cool thing about it, though, was when Thom Yorke thanked the audience, the background animation was a sound wave that mirrored his voice. I think that that applied to the rest of the song as well.
18. "The National Anthem" - Another favorite from last night and Jonny's turn in the spotlight. I didn't catch on to the radio station sounds until a few seconds into the song. I caught a bit of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" coming from the radio and maybe Radio 92.9. The best part of the performance, however, was the fact that Jonny managed to land on a jazz station, allowing him to allude to the horn section that's included on the album version. Thom certainly dug it. Then the place erupted in heavy bass and domineering electronics.
19. "Lucky" - The anthem number of the night. The crowd hushed, then cheered, as they recognized the chirps at the beginning of the song. They then sang along to Thom's musical cries, fully connecting the audience to the band. Once the lights came up for the chorus, everyone's hearts seemed to burst with passion and excitement. I was probably more excited that I should have been over the fact that Jonny was playing a mellotron during the second verse.
20. "Everything in Its Right Place" - The band opened this one with a cover Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush". After a few lines, Thom decided to cut it and go straight into the main number. The crowd went wild. Thom seemed to put his philosophy of using his voice as an instrument into practice, with Ed and Jonny taking the reins with their sampler while Thom walks off stage, his role in the process now complete. Even without seeing him on stage, he was able to give life to his disembodied singing through Ed and Jonny's remixing techniques. Thom's voice babbled and popped while the band waved goodbye...until now, at least.
21. "Give Up the Ghost" - Second encore. When I saw the acoustic guitar, I was ready to cry. Tears welled up in my eyes as Thom played while he looped his voice. I was surprised by the prominence of Jonny's guitar in the song, since I thought that that song was completely acoustic. The final result of the looping and sampling was a one-man chorus that overtook the audience. The fact that they managed to stay so quiet during the performance made me proud to be a part of such a respectful group of people.
22. "Bodysnatchers" - If I were to close my eyes while listening to the opening riff of the song, I would have told you that I was listening to the album version. The tone on Thom's guitar was exactly the same as the album, but that was where the similarities ended. The background made the stage look like it was engulfed in flames, and the song itself was just as fiery. It was an adrenaline-pumping number that was the complete antithesis of the last song. There was no stopping the band once they started.
23. "Reckoner" - The show ended on a compassionate note. Even after 2 hours, the band was still able to show exceptional chemistry and musicianship. Jonny melted in the background as another percussionist. Ed retreated into the role of tambourine player, with Thom taking over the main guitar riff off the song. The ending of the song was nothing short of beautiful. Ed's harmonies against Thom's singing were tighter than ever, and gave me a completely different way of listening to the song. I think the placement of "Reckoner" at the end sums up the tour perfectly: music that's experimental and percussion heavy, but played with a love for music and bringing it to people in a harmonious environment.
"It's like I've fallen out of bed from a long, weary dream..."
And waking up this morning...the concert seems like it was just that: a surreal dream that only happened in my imagination, like I was never there to begin with, but going through my photos, I was in fact there. I did see one of my all-time favorite bands perform before me, and mostly near the stage, no less. I couldn't have asked for a better concert experience. The weather held up, despite what newsreporters have been saying, everyone was in high spirits, and I got to be up close to the 6 musicians that have been providing the soundtrack to my life for the past 3 months.
That was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. The band should be proud of themselves for last night's performance, and for the tour in general.
