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RADIOHEAD, August 3rd, Molson Park, Barrie - Everything In It's Right PlaceAug 08 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line A breathtaking preformance by Radiohead. The perfect way to spend an evening.
The day had finally come that I had been waiting for. Thanks to the internet, I had purchased tickets some two months in advance, and I was practically counting down the days until Radiohead came to Toronto. Well, not quite Toronto. The concert was taking place at Molson Park in Barrie, which is north of Toronto in cottage country. It's location combined with the unusual heat wave we're experiencing in Toronto made for sweltering heat and little moisture. It would almost have been unbearable if it wasn't for a breeze. Well, anything is bearable when you're going to see Radiohead in a couple of hours. My cousin and I, who is even more of a Radiohead nut than I am, arrived at about three in the afternoon to see crowds of eager Radiohead fans. You know what kind of person the average Radiohead fan is: guys with long sideburns and vintage tee-shirts that are iconoclastic and cynical, and gals with unconventional hair, and even more unconventional clothing. These people were the norm here, and made for some great preconcert conversations about the band. The gates to get into the park opened at three, but the gates to get into the actual concert area only opened at six. So we waited with the other 25,000 concert-goers that evening. It was a mad rush when the gates to get into the concert-area were opened. My cousin and I both sprinted to get as good as position as possible, in which we found ourselves about fifteen feet away from the stage and ten feet to the left of center. Because of the heat, the security officers were quick to break out the hose, but one of the promoters came and stopped them for an unknown reason. He was met with boos and empty water bottles, and the crowd was getting a little rough around the edges. At about seven the Beta Band came out to a pretty tough crowd. Left and right, all you could here was sarcasm such as "Woo! The Beta Band! Now let's see Radiohead!" before they even played a song. When the music did finally start, the crowd members were won over by the Beta Band's funky electronic groove. They did a set of about six songs, and ended with one where the lead singer/guitarist played the drums with the regular percussionist at the same time for a really awesome instrumental section. It was a very impressive showing by the Beta Band. Next on was Kid Koala, probably one of the finest hiphop DJs in the world on a tour with... Radiohead? It was a little confusing because most of the crowd didn't know what to make of this Sultan of Scratch, but they enjoyed none the less, as did I. Kid Koala even put on Radiohead's "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors", which was met with a fury of "woo"s. He did about a half-hour set, which brought us to the headliner. After the sound check, Radiohead entered the stage to be met by an array of hysterical yelping of the likes of the Beatles. So, at 8:45, it began. The first song they played was a groovy version of “The National Anthem” from Kid A. It was missing the delicious brass found in the studio version, but that’s understandable. It was a little faster as well, and made for a solid, energetic piece to get the show started. The bass riff by Colin Greenwood was just as excellent as the studio version. This was followed by another Kid A track, “Morning Bell”. This one was really well done. Thom Yorke’s organ and vocals were perfect, which was the same for Phil Selway’s drumming of the 5/4 piece. After that was “My Iron Lung”, the evening’s first real classic Radiohead performance. The audience sang along with Thom on this one, and jumped along when the heavy part came in. It was full of energy and showed us that Radiohead are still capable of rockin’, despite some critic’s opinions. Next was “Airbag”, which was another excellent version of the opener from OK Computer. This one really rocked, and I mean Ed O’Brien and Johnny Greenwood both played excellent guitar. After that was “Karma Police”, in which Johnny played the piano, and the future single from Amnesiac “Knives Out”. This one got lots of applause from the audience, but wasn’t as moving as “Exit Music”, which was next. A brilliant song that was very powerful in the live setting. Lighters were in the air. Next was the unexpected “Packt Like Sardines”, which was full of heavily altered guitar tones and keyboards. Before the song, Thom said it was about being in a traffic jam, which is a little piece of interesting info. It was lots of fun to hear this one live, because it’s one of the more complicated pieces to replicate. Next was “No Surprises”, a solid piece from OK Computer, and “Dollars & Cents”, which was another highlight. Colin Greenwood played an infectious bass hook on his standup bass, which was accompanied by Thom’s very emotional singing and Johnny on keyboards for some strings. A great piece that was even more jazzy live. After was the mindblowing “Street Spirit”, which was met with a chorus of applause as Thom began his fingerpicking on his acoustic. It was even more strong and moving live than it is on album. Next was “I Might Be Wrong”, which rocked the crowd into a frenzy. It featured great guitar by Ed O’Brien as well as priceless vocals by Yorke. After was another one from Amnesiac, which was the chilling “Pyramid Song”. This was an amazing performance of the piece, with Yorke on the piano, Johnny on a keyboard of some sort, Selway adding his brilliant jazz-influenced drumming, and Colin playing the upright bass with a bow. Wow. After the slow tranquility of “Pyramid Song”, Radiohead ripped it all apart with the incredible “Paranoid Android”. This got the most response out of the crowd. It was a great performance of the piece, and featured the powerful three guitar attack that rocked the house. Johnny’s solo was superb, but then again, all his solos throughout the evening were superb. After was the fan-favourite “Idioteque”, which was surprisingly loud for a techno piece. It rocked thanks to Phil Selway’s intense drumming, and was followed by another fan favourite, “Everything In It’s Right Place”. This was a little more extended than the studio version, probably going like six minutes, but finished off an amazing performance by Radiohead. Yeah, right. The first encore, which happened about two minutes after they first left the stage, began with “Lucky”. This was a perfect version of the song, and had awesome guitar by Johnny. Next was “Pearly”, which is a song that is included only on the “Airbag” single EP. It was a treat hearing this, because it is so seldom played live. A great song, too. After was “You And Whose Army”, which was amazing. This track was done to perfection. When that piano entered, it was so powerful and emotional that the entire audience was wailing along with Yorke as best as they could. This is the song that was stuck in my head after the performance was all over. The final song of the first encore was “How To Disappear Completely”, which was really cool to here. The bass was great on this one, as well as Yorke’s vocals which were on point all throughout the night. They exited again, only to be called back for a second encore. It kicked off with “Big Ideas”, which was another big treat to here. It is a track that is currently unreleased, but we might see it recorded some time in the future. It was solid, but not nearly as spectacular as the next song, “Talk Show Host” from the Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack. Selway stood out on the drums, as did Yorke who was accompanied all throughout the song by the audience’s vocals. Next was “The Tourist”, which was strong. Good guitar by Johnny and O’Brien here. It was the closer for the second encore, which wasn’t the last. When they came out for a third time, they played only one song, because one song was enough. Although “The Bends” was done at a slower tempo, it had more energy live then it ever could have had in the studio. It had rockin’ guitar, bass, and drums, and fantastic vocals. It was a great song to finish a night I will never forget. The performance was amazing up to and including the very last song. The opener’s did a good job, and so did the technicians who maintained a perfect balance between all the instruments all throughout the night. Radiohead really came to please in this concert, and while leaving there wasn’t a sour looking face in the crowd. It was 100% satisfaction, and the scary thing is I bet they’ve done even better in live sets before. Still, Radiohead brought it on August 3rd, and I sure that they’ll continue to do so as long as they exist as a unit. In conclusion, I can say that this is the best live performance I’ve ever been to, and probably will be until I see them again. It’s was a perfect performance to make the perfect night come true.  |
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