Both Arcade Fire and The Black Keys sound as good, or better, live, so I try to catch them when they come into town. The Keys came through Summerstage last week to play an early show before taking the stage later at Terminal 5. For a solid 90 minutes, they pumped out seventies-infused hard rock riffs and beats to a sold out crowd that was more than a little high. Wedged in the center near the back, our evening was punctuated with groups of girls stumbling past (or into) us. It was a nice night, though, and Dan Auerbach sounded just as resonant in the middle of the park as in a small club. It was a little weird to see the duo bring out other musicians -- not that it sounded bad -- midway through the set. There's something about Auerbach and Patrick Carney's musical chemistry that was, if not diminished, altered.
On the other hand, Arcade Fire seems to benefit exponentially whenever they add musicians on stage. They had nine on Wednesday night when they took the stage at Madison Square Garden in front of a backdrop of images that evoked the suburbs of their new album. Win Butler and the gang spent their 100 minute set running around on stage, rotating instruments like a game of musical chairs. Regine Chassagne began the evening on one of two drumsets for "Ready to Start". She moved throughout the night to the keyboards, accordion, and even centerstage to sing lead on a couple songs. There's an amazing joy of playing that emenated from the stage and sets Arcade Fire apart from other talented indie bands. I can't wait to see what other projects they tackle as they mature as a band.
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