LIVE IN LIMBO

Arcade Fire at the Air Canada Centre

Photographs by Randall Vasquez

It feels like a Canadian rite of passage: visit Niagara Falls, eat a beaver tail and see Arcade Fire play live.

A boxing ring stage filled with instruments sits in the centre of the ACC beneath the jumbotron, and a ticker of logos representing their albums (an ‘L’, a Neon Bible, ‘EN’) plus the current Infinite Content tour is running around the arena. There are two large mirror balls flanking the stage, and disco funk begins to ring out as the lights go down. The atmosphere thickens with anticipation as Arcade Fire get a prizefighter introduction, climbing into the ring between white ropes while a mock sports screen exclaims: “Wins: Always, Losses: Never, KOs: Infinite”

The band form a circle around the centre of the stage, encircling drummer Jeremy Gara, who’s a powerhouse of drumming throughout the show. Win Butler looks as tall cowboy as ever in his hat, wearing bright orange boots and launching into Everything Now after the extended intro reaches a cacophonous fever pitch.

Rebellion (Lies) makes an early appearance in the set and it’s a raucous affair as the bandmates jump around the 360 stage, jeeing up the standing crowd with seemingly boundless energy. The crowd fills every corner of the stadium, bouncing along to the anthemic indie rock. Arcade Fire’s latest offering Everything Now feels light years away from first album Funeral, but once you recover from the seemingly chipper and pop-tinged first listen (and the jarring woodwind in opening track Everything Now), you’re gifted with the beautiful melancholy lyrics. And it’s wonderful.

The Abba tinged Put Your Money on Me provides a quieter moment in the set, and the whole crowd sways along with the music. Neon Bible and My Body is a Cage follow, packing an emotional punch. Butler dedicates The Suburbs to Gord Downey and it’s beautiful rendition. Régine Chassagne appears in the crowd for a dance during her performance of Reflektor, and it’s Win’s turn in the crowd for Afterlife. It’s Chassagne that holds my attention through a lot of the show. She has a magnetism, showmanship and voice that sweep me up in the magic of Arcade Fire.

The floor fills with smoke for Creature Comfort in all its melancholy glory an I’m reminded of the excellence of Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out), which closes the show. The encore ends, naturally, with Wake Up – which has the crowd chorusing along and reminds me how many big bands use this ‘yell along’ approach. But Arcade Fire were one of the first, and are one of the best, at an arena-sweeping chorus.

Arcade Fire provided a fantastic two hours of camaraderie and emotional punch. An excellent way to spend a Friday night.

Setlist