“The Best Concert I Have Ever Seen”

“10 people, running around, playing an assortment of instruments, jumping into the crowd, playing to a sold out crowd, and generally rocking the house down.”

That’s about the best way I can sum up the 2 Arcade Fire performances Jess and I had the opportunity to see this week.

For those who haven’t seen them perform live, it’s quite an event. They’re very animated on stage and bring with them an energy that most performers simply don’t have. The onstage band consists of 10 musicians, all of which play a variety of unusual instruments throughout the show. Accordions, violins, french horns, trumpets, keyboards, organs, guitars, drums and so on.

I hadn’t had the luxury of seeing the band live until these performances, and while these were most definitely entertaining – I definitely wish I had been able to see them in a smaller venue. It must be tough for the band as their fan base continues to outgrow the intimate venues they used to frequent. Stories of their earlier life changing performances make me wonder what kind of person I would be today had I seen them sooner.

Regardless, these 2 shows did not disappoint and the band took full advantage of what Massey Hall had to offer. And while it wasn’t exactly life-altering, I do think Jess came close with her description of the first night: “That was the best concert I have ever seen.”