Mark your calendars / Arcade Fire

here's the post's take on the show. kinda echoes snailhook's thoughts. i wasn't there, but it sounds about right. the record is very good, but there were probably a dozen or so that i thought were better last year. like snailhook was saying, the fact that they have lots of people playing lots of different instruments, not to mention the fact that they are on merge, just evokes lots of neutral milk hotel comparisons, at least in my mind, and that's just one band you don't want to go up against.

Arcade Fire

The 9:30 club stage seemed too small for the eight musicians of the Arcade Fire, whose Sunday night concert operated according to the formula that constant movement and shouting in unison create a powerful show. The group's music centered on the beats: Three simultaneous rhythm guitars drilled power chords that were accented by pounding drums and the yelping vocals of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne. Two violinists filled in the gaps, bringing out melodies in songs that were otherwise just percussive.

Most of the musicians rotated instruments like a holiday gift exchange, sometimes throwing a tambourine from person to person between songs. But not everyone played an instrument: During most songs, one or two members of the group would grab a pair of drumsticks and pound on anything in sight, even wearing motorcycle helmets for extra protection.

These energetic gimmicks won over the capacity audience more often than not: By the end of the set, the crowd was clapping along to the bouncy rhythm of "Rebellion (Lies)" and pounding fists in the air as "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" disintegrated into musical mayhem. Despite the energy and chaos, the songs weren't very memorable, and Butler's vocals were murky and often unintelligible.

The last song of the night, "In the Backseat," concluded with all eight members wandering through the downstairs audience, waving their instruments in the air, oooh-ing the song's final chorus in unison as they made their way upstairs and through the balcony crowd back to their dressing rooms.

The group's haphazard movements on stage were fascinating to watch, and it's a miracle there were no collisions all night. While its simplistic musical style and histrionic vocals had little substance, the Arcade Fire is certainly to be admired for its extreme and unwavering physicality.

– Catherine P. Lewis

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
then learn to quit. smoking is a vile habit. it is totally offensive to me that I have to endure the smoke fumes of losers who care nothing at all about their health just to see a show I like.

HAH!! ok celeste, now that you put it that way. Thanks!!

this better? you're only (well, mostly) killing yourself!

from my favorite comedy set of all time:

"There's a guy- I don't know if you've heard about this guy, he's been on the news a lot lately. There's a guy- he's English, I don't think we should hold that against him, but apparently this is just his life's dream because he is going from country to country. He has a senate hearing in this country coming up in a couple of weeks. And this is what he wants to do. He wants to make the warnings on the packs bigger. Yeah! He wants the whole front of the pack to be the warning. Like the problem is we just haven't noticed yet. Right? Like he's going to get his way and all of the sudden smokers around the world are going to be going, "Yeah, Bill, I've got some cigarettes. HOLY SHIT! These things are bad for you! Shit, I thought they were good for you! I thought they had Vitamin C in them and stuff!" You fucking dolt! Doesn't matter how big the warnings are. You could have cigarettes that were called the warning. You could have cigarrets that come in a black pack, with a skull and a cross bone on the front, called tumors and smokers would be lined up around the block going, "I can't wait to get my hands on these fucking things! I bet you get a tumor as soon as you light up! Numm Numm Numm Numm Numm" Doesn't matter how big the warnings are or how much they cost. Keep raising the prices, we'll break into your houses to get the fucking cigarettes, ok!?"

Originally posted by Celeste:
then learn to quit. smoking is a vile habit. it is totally offensive to me that I have to endure the smoke fumes of losers who care nothing at all about their health just to see a show I like.

we only smoke to piss you off, celeste. and we hope that if you keep coming around, then you will die a long miserable painful death and we'll be at your funeral smoking a parlaiment saying "man, i thought smoking was only bad for us"
then we'll go eat a juicy steak :) yummmmm

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
from my favorite comedy set of all time:

mine too!! haha.

this ones good too

"Remember Jim Fixx? The big famous jogging guy? Jogged fifteen miles a day. Did a jogging book. Did a jogging video. Dropped dead of a heart attack when? When he was fucking jogging, that's when! "

Did you smoke at your granny's funeral?

Originally posted by sonickteam2:

Originally posted by Celeste:
then learn to quit. smoking is a vile habit. it is totally offensive to me that I have to endure the smoke fumes of losers who care nothing at all about their health just to see a show I like.

we only smoke to piss you off, celeste. and we hope that if you keep coming around, then you will die a long miserable painful death and we'll be at your funeral smoking a parlaiment saying "man, i thought smoking was only bad for us"
then we'll go eat a juicy steak :) yummmmm

Wow…all this debate about smoking.

The Arcade Fire requests that all their shows be non-smoking. I believe that Win has a severe allergy to smoke and it really screws up his singing if there's smoking in the venue.

Now…having said that, what a fucking show! They pulled out all the stops on Sunday night. It didn't hurt that Win's parents were in town and that Will had flown in for the show (along with Philly and Conan). I think it really pumped them up for the evening.

I really get off on the energy they exhibit on stage. I wonder how long they can keep it up. For some reason, I can't help but think they'll get snakebit with their sophomore effort and back off a bit.

BTW - Went to the Philly show last night and it wasn't quite as good as DC (but still damn fine). They did have a harp player for Backseat and their set was one song shorter. I have a feeling that they'll be playing Backseat on Conan tonite. That wouldn't be my choice to showcase their talents, especially given that they'll only get about 3 minutes. We'll have to see how that transpires.

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Did you smoke at your granny's funeral?

no, i only smoke when i go out to bars and shows.

i dont really smoke. i just wanna piss you whiny shits off!!!! i dont wanna make my car and apt stink and stuff. jeez.

Originally posted by snailhook:
this isn't to say that i thought the arcade fire were bad; i enjoyed their set but had trouble fathoming why so many think this band is doing something interesting and moving. i wasn't moved at all, except during one song.

I wasn't really impressed with what I heard or saw from them.

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Actually, alcohol sales in bars have increased in Montgomery County since the smoking ban went into place.

That might just be because more people who don't smoke are going out in Montgomery County because they know they won't have to deal with smoke. There's not necessarily a corelation between the amount of alcohol consumed and smoking unless you break it down per person. My thoughts in the two times I've been back since the ban is that there's more traffic, which would naturally equal more consumption.

That being said, I'm still all for the ban.

and you're also talking about one of the richest counties in the country.

tell the lower-middle class folks of Baltimore you cant smoke and the already dreary nightlife of Baltimore may come to a stand still.

i dont care if they ban it personally, i am looking for a reason to stop spending $50+ at the bar every weekend!

Originally posted by sonickteam2:
and you're also talking about one of the richest counties in the country.

tell the lower-middle class folks of Baltimore you cant smoke and the already dreary nightlife of Baltimore may come to a stand still.

Those arguments don't work anymore. It's been ten years in a state as large as California, with neighborhoods of all makes and models, and you rarely hear of anyone who complains about the ban any longer - in any neighborhood, rich or poor. Businesses have loved it - by far they've reaped rewards they never imagined. As was pointed out earlier, alcohol sales took no hit (even increased) and smoking is allowed outside in a designated smoking area. They still sell their packs at outrageous prices and more people are in the bar - who loses?

but you wonder how many businesses may have folded and then new ones sprouted up during that time.

think of some bars, if they had bad sales for the initial 6 months of the ban…that could be enough to send them out of business.

really , i dont care and i certainly dont wanna argue with vansmack cause hes a nice guy, haha.

either way, ever since bans have been going on, whenever i am in a bar that is no smoking, by 12:30am its almost always smoking anyway (this is NYC, Phoenix and San Diego only though)

on another note, i remember being home when the Toronto smoking ban went into effect last year.

it was funny because the bar we were at had like 5 cigarette reps there handing out oodles of free smokes, and the owner allowed us to smoke til closing (even though the ban was midnight). apparently not all bars were that "nice" because by 12:45am the place was PACKED with people who left other bars that made everyone put out the smokes at the stroke of 12.

the smoking ban probably isnt so bad in Cali, but when its -15C outside in Toronto…its kind of a son of a bitch to step outside!

Originally posted by sonickteam2:
the smoking ban probably isnt so bad in Cali, but when its -15C outside in Toronto…its kind of a son of a bitch to step outside!

This is my favorite argument. The guy who's willing to give himself cancer is all of a sudden worried about catching a cold.

I just don't think smokers get it.

You can use all the hurts business/helps business arguments you want. But the bottom line is that secondhand smoke is harmful to other human beings. If you don't care about your own health, at least have some compassion for your fellow human beings and refrain from doing something that does harm to others.

Originally posted by vansmack:
The guy who's willing to give himself cancer is all of a sudden worried about catching a cold.

i dont think its worried of actually "catching" the cold. but its just COLD. plus with all those gloves, hats and jackets.

my REAL argument (apparently you are trying to force it out of me, even though i thought i was just telling a story) is that i should be allowed to let people smoke in my business if i want to. shouldnt be up to the government….though that doesnt go with my socialistic views.

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I just don't think smokers get it.

You can use all the hurts business/helps business arguments you want. But the bottom line is that secondhand smoke is harmful to other human beings. If you don't care about your own health, at least have some compassion for your fellow human beings and refrain from doing something that does harm to others.

ohhhh, i get it now!!

thanks rhett, you and celeste are just so damn helpful. for years, i had wandered around like an idiot, not fully understanding the issues surrounding cigarettes. luckily, i stumbled across this board and found you two wise souls. i am forever in debt to you.

by the way, would you tell bobby bare to put a cigarette out if you were giving him head? i think not!

I've never seen Bobby Bare Jr. smoke. At least not when I've given him head.

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
If you don't care about your own health, at least have some compassion for your fellow human beings and refrain from doing something that does harm to others.

thats stupid rhett

if i dont care about my own health why in fucks sake should i care about yours. i mean, think about it.
(just taking a stance, i really care about both, i am a nice Canadian…we dont mean to harm other people)