No matter how good the music of Arcade Fire is, or how many albums they sell, the band without a doubt sounds their very best during their live performances.
The Montreal-based indie band, who sold out Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum Tuesday night, proved why they have the reputation as one of the most important and talented live acts in modern music.
Bursting on to stage with "Ready to Start," the first single from their newly released The Suburbs, frontman Win Butler and his wife, Régine Chassagne belted out lyrics accompanied by no less than a pawn shop of instruments: three guitars, two drummers, a violinist, a xylophone player and two keyboard backups.
In Pictures: Arcade Fire wows Vancouver
Opening volleys included "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" and "No Cars Go," not long before opening up into Chassagne's "Haiti," an ode to her homeland and cause very dear to her heart. One dollar from every ticket sold during their tour is going to Kanpe.org, a charity dedicated to rebuilding Haiti one village at a time.
Butler told the crowd they were ecstatic to be on the West Coast.
"We're so excited to be here," he yelled, holding his guitar close to his chest. "Vancouver is like our sister city. We take each other's artists."
The evening played heavily on new material, with highlights including "Modern Man," a haunting song with swirling guitar and images of an old-timey 1950s family projected onto a giant billboard behind the stage.
"Rococo," a melody that builds with violins and guitar strings, saw the stage bathed in green light and fans slowly drawn into a radiant and otherworldly musical drama played out in crescendos and strings.
One of the highlights of the evening was Butler's rendition of "We Used to Wait," his guitar strumming over images of smiling teenagers kissing and rebellious youngsters pushing bikes down a neighbouhood street.
"Those suburbs look great," my boyfriend shouted to me.
Indeed, the suburbs, and Arcade Fire themselves, have never looked so good.
The last few months have been an exciting time for the band, topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their latest effort. It's also been an aggressive whirlwind of attention this summer, from its Terry Gilliam-directed webcast from Madison Square Garden, a New York Times piece questioning whether the band it truly indie and a flurry of social media campaigning to promote its highly anticipated third album.
Like me, most of my friends anxiously awaited the release of The Suburbs. Let's face it -- with their breakout critically acclaimed 2004 album "Funeral" and 2007's "Neon Bible," the group left some awfully big pockets to fill. But hearing a preview of a Suburbs track on the radio, I was worried the album wasn't going to live up to its impressive predecessors.
But that's the thing about The Suburbs. Unlike the power of "Funeral," with its dark rock guitar vibes and powerful drum hooks, or "Neon Bible" with its sing-along hits "Keep the Car Running" and "No Cars Go," the band's latest effort may not knock you unconscious with a fatal blow upon first listen, but it will flirt its way into your heart until you invite it over for Sunday dinner with your mother.
That's because, as my friend Dave asserts, the "The Suburbs" is much more of a grower than previous ventures. With haunting melodies and majestic, often consuming refrains, the songs stay with you much longer than your listening time. It may not be as dark as "Funeral," but it stays true to the band's sometimes full and other-worldly sound, which makes it an engrossing and impressive five-star album.
Not to mention a five-star concert.
Arcade Fire plays Seattle on Wednesday night before heading to Berkeley, California and Los Angeles later this week. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.ca
