Arcade Fire at Randall's Island

I went into New York yesterday to see the Arcade Fire concert at Randall's Island (with Les Savy Fav, Blonde Redhead, LCD Soundsystem, and Wild Light (only one of which I've even heard of -- I haven't been keeping up with my mp3 blogs lately).

In any case, the bus line to get there was insane; I arrived at 4:30, an hour after starting time, but still waited five hours to see the Arcade Fire come on. So worth it, though. They started with "Black Mirror," one of my favorites from Neon Bible, and I realized that even though I was there alone and felt a bit awkward, sitting on the grass on the sidelines just wouldn't do it, so I made my way up to where I could really hear. And it was fantastic.

I almost cried during "Neighborhood #2." I couldn't even believe I was seeing human beings actually make this music. It seems like it comes from something bigger than just a few young people who worked in obscurity to write songs about dead family members way back when; but even as they sang this grand, unforgettable anthem, there was something humble about their faces up on the big screen.

I left during the first encore, trying to beat the rush, worried about getting back to the train station in Harlem in time for my train, so I had to listen to "Wake Up" (the second encore) from the bus line. Really, listening to "Wake Up," live, would have been worth waiting around in Harlem for a late-late train, but because I was alone, I chickened out. I totally hate myself for it, though!