I have been listening to so much Arcade Fire this week and it brought me back to the two times I was able to see them live about four years apart. While I wasn’t a fan from the very start of their existence, I did become one well before they dominated at the Grammys and took home Album of the Year for The Suburbs, much to the chagrin of most of the world. Everything this band produces is so unique and deeply profound that I can’t help but to connect to all of it, even in some small way.
The first time I was able to see Arcade Fire was in 2014 as part of the Reflektor Tour. There was a request to dress up for the shows on this tour, so my friend and I wore some fancy dresses and had a blast. This band is even more epic because half way through “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” lead singer, Win Butler, stopped the music and had the lights turned up so he could personally lift a man who had passed out in the front row to get help. Straight after he asked the crowd if they should restart and answered our cheers by doing just that.
Unfortunately, I’d have to wait another four years before I got the opportunity to see them again, this time on the Everything Now Continued Tour. In a smaller outdoor venue, this show was even better than the first because of the intimacy the smaller venue provided. I was closer to this larger than life band then I ever even imagined! And despite it being a muggy day in the middle of summer, my friend and I couldn’t help but dance to every single infectious song. My personal favorite will always be “Rebellion (Lies),” but “Electric Blue” is just as incredible and so darn catchy! Reflecting back on those two tours has me itching to see them again, so I can only hope that COVID passes along quickly and that the band releases some new music! Until then, enjoy some pretty rough-quality photos of both shows.
