CONCERT ADDICT CHICK: Arcade Fire @ The Shrine Auditorium

Arcade Fire is, by far, one of the most incredible live performance bands I have ever seen. Last Thursday night was my 3rd official Arcade Fire show & they just keep getting better! The very 1st time I saw Arcade Fire was when I caught a few of their songs at Coachella 2005. Unfortunately for me, that was before I really knew who they were so I didn't give them the proper attention they deserved (which is why that show doesn't even count as 1 of the official 3).

I'm extremely grateful I got my sh*t together in time for Coachella 2007 when they played the main stage at sunset. The sunset act on the main stage is one of the most coveted Coachella time slots & for good reason. Nothing beats witnessing an amazing show while the sun slowly sets behind the palm trees & desert mountains. It's just beautiful.

The 2nd time I saw Arcade Fire was at The Hollywood Bowl in September 2007 when LCD Soundsystem opened for them. That particular show still stands out in my mind as one of the best I've ever seen. LCD Soundsystem falls into the electro-rock genre while Arcade Fire's style is almost impossible to classify. Despite being very different, LCD complemented AF perfectly.

***Side note: I'm seeing LCD Soundsystem (with Hot Chip & Sleigh Bells) this coming Friday at The Hollywood Bowl. According to James Murphy, this is the last leg of LCD Soundsystem's final tour but I don't think I believe it. No matter what, James Murphy will keep making music & that's all that really matters. Only because I'm not 100% sure what James Murphy is going to do next, I'm splurging on a $95 box seat (the most I've ever spent on a single non-festival show) for my 7th LCD Soundsystem show ever & I'm still excited as ever. Hot Chip is badass live as well so Friday night is definitely going to be AWESOME :-)

Despite the fact that the 1st 2 Arcade Fire shows I saw were both fantastic, last Thursday's show was the best so far. It was my 1st time seeing a show at The Shrine Auditorium & I LOVED the venue! Because I CALLED Ticketmaster at 10am on the dot the day tix went on sale instead of trying to purchase tickets online, I managed to snag FRONT row loge seats. The view was spectacular.

Seeing AF in an indoor venue for the 1st time is what made the most noticeable difference though. The band & audience's energy combined was immeasurable. In reading a couple reviews after the show, I was reminded that there were a few technical difficulties with equipment & instruments but, when you have 8 people running around stage playing everything from the accordion to the xylophone, you're bound to have a few mishaps. Watching the band improvise just made them that much more likable! They rolled with it & so did the crowd. The audience was clapping & singing along practically the entire time.

Some of my video footage is a LITTLE shaky due to the fact that the entire upper level was constantly bouncing because everyone was on their feet dancing. At 1st I was a little upset I couldn't get a steady shot but I quickly decided that, if the reason my footage wasn't going to be flawless was because the crowd was TOO into the show, then that was a damn good reason for slightly less than perfect videos & pics.

Even if my footage doesn't exactly do it justice, in my opinion, Thursday night's Arcade Fire show was utter perfection...performance-wise, crowd-wise, seat-wise & venue-wise. Arcade Fire rocks my world & I will continue to see them EVERY chance I get (& you should too).

Ready to Start (opening song & the shakiest of all the videos...they get better I promise!)