Encore:
Lurgee
I Might Be Wrong
Climbing Up The Walls
You And Whose Army?
Encore 2:
Lucky
Fake Plastic Trees
Encore 3:
True Love Waits (Thom acoustic)
Street Spirit
Just got back from Radiohead, playing in such a great venue in Chicago. A big field in Grant Park, right next to the lake, and with a clear view of the Sears tower and Chicago skyline to the left.
We won't talk about the part where Brad and I try pretty much unsuccessfully to sell the two tickets we were stuck with.
When we entered the field, it seemed like a huge barbecue. People throwing Frisbee, a mix of light jazz, techno, and crazy 1930s music playing. Surrounded by trees and Chicago.
The Betas came on early to the Frasier theme, which was great. They were all in funky costumes, the drummer's huge glasses and crooked visor being the best. They played an informal set, sampling some live stuff so they could quit playing that and move on to something else. It seemed like they brought a huge bag full of crazy gadgets -- the mouth organ, Jew's Harp, giant tambourine which doubled as a metal hat, the train whistle, and who could forget the cow bell. Life was cool -- "our tribute to Ozzy Osbourne," and so was quiet, where the drummer indeed kicks ass live as well. Also, Steve Mason reading from the paper about MTV's 20th birthday and how shite it was. They closed with a dual-drumset Broke.
Great idea: have a sweet DJ play between opening act and main event while the tedious stage preparations are under way. Kid Koala threw down a hellacious mix using three turntables. It was fun being able to watch on the screens just how the magic of DJing happened live.
I could see the Radiohead fellows milling around backstage, and sure enough, they came out and immediately fell into National Anthem. One of the immediate impressions was just how good the sound was -- every instrument was clear and loud.
Since we were craning our necks to see the whole time it didn't really bother me that much, but Thom stood right in front of Phil from my vantage point the whole time -- I love watching the drummer. At least I could occasionally see him on the video feed from the numerous security type cameras around the stage. This was a great idea, especially the camera in the piano, in which Thom made funny faces during Pyramid Song and the other piano ones. It was easy to watch everybody on stage and on the cameras at the same time -- Colin wincing at the pure delight coming from his bass and Johnny playing all the instruments in the same unique way, head and hands bobbing together.
It honestly took me a while to get into it. This was the first concert in a while that I have gone to where there isn't a lot of improvising and unexpected songs (like at Mogwai or Sigur Ros, which were my last three concerts). They pretty much ran straightforward through a ton of songs. But after a few, there came a set of about 6-8 songs where the band could do no wrong, and it was one of my favorite concert moments.
I would have to look at a setlist to remember exactly where this block was, but it included Permanent Daylight, Talk Show Host, No Surprises, Dollars and Cents, and the unbelievably sweet fuzz-bass disco version of Packt Like Sardines.
After that kick ass set of songs, I was into it for the rest of the show. My favorite moment was probably Fake Plastic Trees -- the first Radiohead song I ever heard and still one of the finest, which ended the second encore, and to my knowledge then, the whole show; however, I was immediately excited when I saw Thom come out solo with an acoustic for a third encore. A kid next to me and I were hoping for Follow Me Around (RELEASE THIS NOW), but instead it was True Love Waits -- just as good if not better. I'm not living, I'm just killing time. After that the rest of the fellows joined for Street Spirit, the final tune.
I am so grateful to have seen probably my second favorite band at this time in their career -- two whole new albums of stuff to play, and seeming as happy and energetic as ever. Good God! I almost forgot You and Whose Army, which was one of the encores. This song is simply amazing.
Leaving the place, Columbus drive outside the park was completely closed off, so it was filled with the 25,000 people crossing it and walking down it, all with the big city buildings behind it. It looked like the entire city was deserted and that we had taken it over. What a suitable ending I think.