UPDATE: Show's over. It was pretty good. Though did anyone else notice that the second half was all long shots? As if the camera feeds on stage weren't working, the first half had some lovely sweeping boom shots and the like. Ah well.
Stay tuned for a photo gallery from the evening.
See photos and videos from the performance here.
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Arcade Fire played an album launch party in New York last night at a hole in the wall call Madison Square Garden. Couple of people showed up. It looked something like this:
Arcade Fire - 'Wake Up' (live at Madison Square Garden)
Arcade Fire - 'Wake Up' (live at Madison Square Garden - wider perspective)
Kind've a big deal then. The band play a second show in New York "tonight". Which is actually
midday NOW our time - meaning the band
are probably doing their scales backstage as we type have already played 'Ready To Start', 'Laika', 'No Cars Go', 'Haiti', 'Empty Room', and 'The Suburbs'.Tonight's performance is being streamed live on YouTube. The broadcast is, of course, being "directed" by legendary filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Though in a refreshingly frank interview with the New York Tims about the event, Gilliam claims he's nothing but a "hanger-on" (
New York Times):
Q. So what kind of equipment will you have at your disposal for the Web broadcast?
A. I don’t know. Just the same old. Some people and some cameras. [laughs] There’s nothing magical about any of this stuff. There’s some very professional people who’ll be doing what they do well, and I’ll probably try to stay out of everybody’s way. And if it’s good, I’ll take credit for everything, and if it’s bad, nothing to do with me.
Q. Did you watch any of the classic concert films in preparation for this?
A. Nope. [Laughs hysterically.] It’s an absolute disgrace. I’m just a hanger-on. I’m a secret groupie. This is the only way I could get close to a band I admire. I’m really just a hanger-on, is what I am. I’m sucking up knowledge for who knows what we do in the future. I’m getting old. I’ve got to create a new career. It’s just nice being with a young band who are — “pure” is a reasonable word to use, because there’s a real integrity about them.
Q. So what will your agenda be like on the day of?
A. I’m going to go over there around 3 o’clock and say hi, and talk, hang out. There’s a documentary crew of sorts, following me around, meeting them and all, which they might use that stuff as an opening before the show. The idea was somehow to show me blending, meeting, conspiring, bumping into a young band, to see what happens. It’s wonderful. I’m just behaving completely irresponsibly.
In preparation for the show, media partners have posted a series of pretty cool little clips of the band playing live, cut with some background shots. And basketball. Those tall Canadians love their basketball.
The broadcast will be able to be viewed on
Arcade Fire's YouTube page. See the pre-concert videos below.
Arcade Fire - 'Keep The Car Running'
Arcade Fire - 'My Body Is A Cage'
Arcade Fire - Nirvana vs Pearl Jam debate
Arcade Fire - live trailer