Artist: Grizzly Bear

Part of the crowd that watched Grizzly Bear perform was part of the crowd who watched Girl Talk. From what I saw when I was heading over to the main stage to catch Radiohead, those fans were having a lot of fun. Girl Talk’s audience was fairly young, and he invited people to dance on stage. Beach balls were being thrown around, and you could just sense the hype and energy of the crowd.

But that was Girl Talk. I’m going to talk about Grizzly Bear.

I’m not exactly a fan of Grizzly Bear. The only songs I know of them are “Knives” and “Easier,” which makes me far from a fan. However, from what I saw when I watched them play, I could tell that there’s good musicianship involved when working as an entire group. The crowd they performed for had a bit too much energy for the songs they were playing, I’d say, but overall, it’s not like it was a boring set.

I can’t really make any judgments on Grizzly Bear if I’m not familiar with their work, so I’ll just have to say that they did some pretty good work. Nicely done. 

Artist: Andrew Bird

I never cared to conceal my crush on Andrew Bird. When I first saw him helping out with the set up of equipments, I squealed and told my brother to look and so on. I was feeling pretty anxious to see him live for the very first time. I was really rooting for “Tables and Chairs” because it would’ve made my night perfect. In fact, I’ve actually said that if Andrew Bird plays “Tables and Chairs,” then I will be convinced that 2008 has been, and will continue to be, hopefully, a perfect year.

And speaking of perfect, the man is incredible on stage. Bird’s performances were mesmerizing and stunning. I can’t even describe what I was feeling when he began to play. Andrew started his set with “Why?” and then, I believe he went on to “Opposite Day.”

As he was breaking out of his stellar tunes like “Simple X,” which he credited Martin Dosh for on stage, I began to think. And then I had an epiphany. It was this: although I might love Bloc Party to an unhealthy extent, I think Andrew Bird has to be tied with them for the number one spot in my heart (musically). I absolutely love Bloc Party no matter what  -“Mercury” may not have been their best song, and they might be on Guitar Hero, but I still am quite dedicated and still very much enchanted by them. However, Bird is a great performer –he knows how to treat his crowd, and he definitely knows what to play.

Some favorites were “Imitosis” and “Plasticities.” It was nice to hear him sing another Mysterious Production of Eggs song, “A Nervous Tic of Motion of the Head to the Left.” People really enjoy watching and hearing Andrew Bird sing “Dr. Stringz,” but what I thought was amazing was how good his transition was from “Dr. Stringz” to “Fake Palindromes.” Seriously, what a guy.

Audience members were grateful for “Fake Palindromes” to have been played, and I know for sure that I was, too. Andrew Bird even played two new songs from the new record, and I must say, that they were pretty good. Apparently, he was surprised when he heard his album because of how much he liked it. Of course, I’m pretty sure that was because he’s just plain modest. Us fans know that he is capable of doing brilliant things. There was a lot of strings in the show, so I was afraid that “Tables and Chairs” wouldn’t be played at all. If I was lucky, maybe he’d play “The Happy Birthday Song,” which would have been a good way to end his night if not with the former.

Even though I said that if “Tables and Chairs” were to be played, I’d declare my year to be a perfect one, I realized during the set, that that wouldn’t have been necessary. Because watching Andrew Bird play and really just getting in touch with his music in a different way than before, I realized that I would still love 2008 because I was certain, watching Andrew Bird play, that I would know that there are still talented people out there in the world, people like Mr. Bird, who can offer so much to people if they give him the chance and listen. This realization made me feel satisfied.

Andrew was apparently about to finish his night playing, but then he said, “We have more time than we thought. This song is ‘Skin, Is My.’” There was cheering, and an audience member had even called out, “Play ten more songs! No, fifty! I’m seeing Radiohead tomorrow, anyway.” And I had to agree, because I think I was more moved by Andrew Bird than I was with Radiohead, but my verdict on their performance will be coming shortly, if you’re still reading, of course.

And then he was getting ready for another song. I was sure this was going to be his last one for the night, and even though it would have been okay if he didn’t play “Tables and Chairs,” I was practically praying for it, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if someone told me I had a strained look on my face.

Andrew Bird is a masterpiece. He’s a gift that only really lucky people will be able to receive. I can praise him only so much, but when he announced, “This song is ‘Tables and Chairs,’” I screamed at the top of my lungs and was nearly on the verge of tears.

Not in chronological order, but the set list was:

Why?
Opposite Day
A Nervous Tic of Motion of the Head to the Left
Fiery Crash
Plasticities
Simple X
Imitosis
New Song #1 (I can’t remember the exact name of it, although I wish I could. If my memory recalls correctly, I believe he played it after “Simple X”)
Dr. Stringz
Fake Palindromes
New Song #2  
Skin, Is My
Tables and Chairs

The last song played just affected me in so many ways. I realized that there is nothing more satisfying for me than to watch a completely charming and ambitious songwriter who is just incredibly and sometimes even unbelievably good, give a pleasurable, playful performance. When I saw Andrew Bird standing there with his violin at hand, I couldn’t help but think how perfect someone could be. It’s almost unfair how he was able to manage such a winning show. 

Artist: Radiohead

There is something glorious about the uniting of thousands of fans to the one thing that brings them together.

I wasn’t surprised that I couldn’t get a good spot to watch Radiohead because there were a lot of people. I had to depend on the screen showing shots of various angles of the band to visualize the group, but hearing their music live is almost like hearing it for the first time.

I’ve always wondered, ‘How is it that Radiohead is so huge? How?’ And I think I got my answer last night. Radiohead never fails to reach you and pull you into your own rainbow of high and lows. One can’t help but admire the band’s craftsmanship and ability. I finally realized that Radiohead is the most brilliant band out there. They can do nothing wrong –live, they were much more exceptional than I thought they would be. Radiohead is absolutely perfect on stage and of course, all attention and focus goes to the five boys who have raided the alternative scene.

They opened with “15 Step,” as expected. There’s something about the way Thom Yorke sings “one-by-one” that might compel you (or at least it compelled me) to just watch in awe their bold performance. I’m not sure whether Yorke knows how much he’s loved by fans. His gleeful voice was amusing when he’d finish a song and say “Thank you.” Thom, you are much too humble.

What you realize with Radiohead is that they achieve the things other rock stars can’t. Somehow, they turn the saddest, angriest feelings into something so beautiful and wonderful. It’s masochism, if you think about it. Everyone quieted down to hear “Videotape,” and let it sink in. However, because of how strong and magnificent they were live, I’m not sure if this is a band quite easy to absorb.

Radiohead plays each song with perfection and grace. “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” was one of my favorites of the night, along with “Reckoner.” One might not like Radiohead too much, or just isn’t able to acquire the taste to listen to them, but I assure you, watching them live is definitely worth it. The experience is just something you have to try to grasp.

A girl next to me was talking to her friend, and I overheard her say, “I can’t believe how good they are.” I completely agree. Radiohead is simply groundbreaking. I won’t say that they’ve found their solid ground to stay put in, but whatever direction they choose to head towards, the band does it with such skill and grace. The picks for the set list were good choices; they were never boring. Instead, the whole night was just focused on them. Radiohead is All Points West’s real deal. Forget Jack Johnson. It’s all about Radiohead.

The encores were stellar to watch. People were really excited to have heard “House of Cards,” and it is amazing to hear “Paranoid Android.” You had audiences jumping when the intro to “Just” broke out and if you sing along to “Cause you do it to yourself, you do, and that’s why it really hurts,” it’s not because you feel obliged to with others doing so –it’s because you simply act on an instinct. You actually have fun at a Radiohead concert.

It’s almost like an out-of-body experience when you’re hearing “Everything In Its Right Place,” and you see people having the time of their lives, or at one of the food vendors. When the show finishes, you’ve reached the end of your rainbow.  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

So that was day one of APW, I have today to get to, and if I'm lucky, hopefully I'll be able to catch some Metric.