Late last week, Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire brought their WE tour to NYC’s Barclay’s Center. It was their first American tour since the release of their newest album this past May.
Haitian Mizik rasin band Boukman Eksperyans opened up the night, showcasing their unique musical style to the audience. The band’s many members played a wide array of instruments and got the crowd members excited for the headliner.
Arcade Fire entered the stage by walking through the side of the delighted audience. They kicked off their set with “Age of Anxiety” from WE to roaring excitement and eagerly played through the rest of the 22-song setlist. Arcade Fire is a band made up of at least 5 regular members and 5 more touring members, meaning that the large stage is full yet they make it feel small and intimate. Frontman Win Butler’s energy is highly infectious, and he makes his way around the stage with ease. Each highly talented band member, including a violinist and multiple percussionists, plays music with such talent and energy that it is impossible not to smile and sing along to every single song. They also made use of the B-stage at the back of the arena, with Win and his wife and fellow band member Régine Chassagne playing a personal favorite “My Body is a Cage” from atop the piano and returning to the main stage to play more of their incredible music. Before the encore, then arena played “New York, New York” from the loudspeakers while the entire band made their way to the B-stage to finish out their set. The last song they played was “Wake Up”, also from Funeral, with musicians from Boukman Eksperyans joining them on the tiny stage. They had everyone on their feet by the end of the night, clapping and singing along while the band exited through the audience and still playing music.
Be sure to catch Arcade Fire in a city near you – I can assure you that it will be an unforgettable concert.
Photos and words by Susie McKeon.
