Arcade Fire Recap

By Kelli Gustafson – RogersPlace.com

Photo by Marko Ditkun

With the second season of hockey underway at Rogers Place, the building took a quick break from the ice to warm-up with three concerts this week.

Following a thunderous performance by Imagine Dragons on Tuesday (read the full recap here), Phantogram and Arcade Fire kept the tunes going inside Rogers Place Wednesday night.

Formerly known as Charlie Everywhere, Phantogram brought their airy vocals and contemporary R&B presence to the stage ahead of the crowd-pleasing performance by Arcade Fire. With talented vocalist/keyboardist Sarah Barthel and vocalist/guitarist Josh Carter, this music duo tested the audience with their exhilarating electro rock style. Recently releasing Three — their aptly-titled third studio album — in 2016, these New York State locals captivated the crowd with the album’s highly applauded single, “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore.”

Setting somewhat of a bold, rebellious tone, Phantogram was followed by the multi-instrumentalist main act. Ranging from keyboards to synthesizers and the cello to the mandolin, Arcade Fire continues to push the boundaries of the contemporary music world with their variety and integration of different instruments.

Opening with their title track, “Everything Now,” the Montreal band were quick to buy themselves a loyal audience for the remainder of the night. With a 360-degree centre stage, nearly two thousand general admittance standing floor tickets were made available for fans to get up close to their music idols. Eagerly packing every side of the stage, fans both on the floor and seated above were able to experience the band front-and-centre; supported by the drummer’s rotating platform, while the other musicians danced with a carefree spirit across the square stage.

Consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Will Butler, along with band members Regine Chassagne, Jeremy Gara, Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry, Arcade Fire first came to prominence in 2004 with their debut album, Funeral. After receiving vast critical acclaim for the album and winning the 2008 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year for their second album, Neon Bible, the band continued to rapidly grow esteem.

Despite the thousands of fans present and the sheer size of Rogers Place, Arcade Fire found a way to make this large arena feel like a small, intimate, underground music venue. Performing fan-favourites like, “Rebellion,” “My Body is a Cage,” and “The Suburbs,” the band kept the fans engaged and on their feet.

Sending fans off in the night with a final performance of “We Don’t Deserve Love,” and “Wake Up,” Arcade Fire left a chill in the air from their riveting vocals and overall inexplicably striking sound.

The third and final concert of the week, Kings of Leon, take the stage this Friday night at 7:00 PM. Doors open to the public at 6:00 PM. For more information, visit the Concert Guide.

Setlist

Everything Now
Signs of Life
Rebellion
Here Comes The Nightime
Chemistry
No Cars Go
Electric Blue
Neon Bible
My Body is a Cage
Good God Damn
The Suburbs
Ready to Start
Sprawl II
Reflektor
Afterlife
Creature Comfort

Encore

We Don’t Deserve Love
Everything Now
Wake Up