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indie-snob>+!#
radiohead @ alpine valley (8-23-03)
with stephen malkmus & the jicks |
 Trust me, I’d love to sit here and tell you how upset I am about Radiohead playing at Clear Channel venues that hold 40,000 people and are 2 hours away from civilization [Chicago], but I’m stopping there. Radiohead is fantastic anywhere they perform. However, my opinion is quite jaded, as is blatantly obvious from the perfect 10 given to Hail to the Thief on this very website. Seeing Radiohead perform two years ago in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park was the most phenomenal experience of my lifetime. The stage was set against the skyline with the lake to the right as the moon rose overhead. Subsequent interviews with Radiohead singer Thom Yorke reveal that that, too, was one of his favorite shows. So, in a way, anything after that was going to be a letdown. (I sound like Thom talking about Glastonbury after the OK Computer Tour, which can be heard while Thom is doing the sound check of “Follow Me Around” in Meeting People is Easy. Yeah, I’m THAT MUCH of a Radiohead freak.) As if Radiohead weren’t enough, finding out the Stephen Malkmus’ and his new band, the Jicks, were opening gave me a new ray of hope. Seeing this show was going to be great, I told myself. GREAT. Unfortunately, as I imagined, seeing Stephen Malkmus play several hundred feet away was a task, and actually getting into his music would have been a triumphed. You could tell people were enjoying him (especially after I had to tell everyone around me that he was the singer from Pavement), but no one could get into him. It was agreed, though, that “Dark Wave” was the musical highlight of the evening. “(Do Not Feed the) Oyster” wasn’t too bad, either, and “Craw Song” just made everyone laugh and have a bit of fun. Look, I love SM&Jycks (as they are affectionately shorthanded), but this was not the crowning moment of their career. Go see them in a 1,000-person venue, not a 40,000 capacity arena. Only there could you fall in love with their country flare and rock edge. Just… not here. Their performance was fine, though, and they sounded great musically, although a very bad opening choice for Radiohead. Supergrass will be better for you west coast people. Radiohead, on the other hand, are masters at pleasing you in whatever venue, whereever you are. Even as I stood up on the lawn, hundreds of feet away from the band (although, I could see quite well), I was in awe. Opening with the opening track from Hail to the Thief (an album perhaps more career building than the praised OK Computer), “2+2=5,” the band went on to please, playing a good number of tracks of HTTT. As the band played, Thom danced around stage, and Jonny did his strange little moves in his electronics corner. They all seemed to be in such good spirits. The band was of course brilliant live, reworking the songs from the first albums and making it into the modern electronica masterpieces that they are. “Kid A” sounded lovely live, away from all the ProTools effects that shaped it on the album. It was, however, the songs off The Bends that truly shone live with the entire place singing along. “Fake Plastic Trees” was beautiful as always and “Just” was a nice addition to the set. Even “We Suck Young Blood” was a fun live song, since everyone was [attempting] to clap along. I was fortunate to hear three of my more favorite Radiohead songs: “Idioteque,” “Backdrifts” and “Street Spirit” (which the band closed with the last time they came, a moment which shall live on forever… *sigh*), but missed out on some of the more rare live songs they’ve been playing. (I would have killed to hear “Big Boots,” “Big Ideas,” “Creep,” “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” or “Like Spinning Plates.” I even missed hearing “Pyramid Song” and “I Might Be Wrong.”) "Karma Police" was glorious, as the entire audience sang along PERFECTLY, making it perhaps the most memorable track of the night. "Everything In Its Right Place" was an excellent finale, too, since the band leaves as Ed and Jonny fool around with electronics and walk off themselves, making for an excellent final note. The most humorous part of the set was when Thom played “You and Whose Army?” by doing those weird faces into the camera (as he did last time.) Oh, the humor that plagues Thom Yorke’s genius! Really, they were quite funny. Overall, I believe that Radiohead could do no wrong, and this was a wonderful show performance wise. I must say though, that viewing my favorite band from so far away wasn’t so great. I’d say, if you are truly a die hard Radiohead fan and can’t get good tickets, buy them from eBay, a scalper, ticket broker, whatever. I’m positive it’s worth it. Imagine seeing Thom Yorke from 5 ft away. *Imagines* Setlist (as I gathered): Encore 1: Encore 2:
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