stop whispering

START SHOUTING!

Last night we went to see Radiohead. Radiohead! I've been in love with Radiohead since their first album - which means I had been waiting to see them in concert for about 15 years.


It was a dark and stormy night. Seriously, we were in the middle of one most significant all-day downpours I can remember. Unfortunately, the concert was at the Nissan Pavilion, which is kind of inconvenient from downtown DC. It's a moderate distance away. Worse, the number of cars plus some small roads result in a traffic nightmare.

Claire and I caught a ride with one of my coworkers and his wife. We drove out and tried to enter the pavilion area "the back way," but a flooded road made that impossible. So, we got routed into a long line of cars. We spent somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour less than By the time we got into the parking lot, we decided to throw down $30 for "premium parking" so that we could get in fast and get out at a reasonable time. This was a good plan - we hoofed it through the rain and only missed the first two songs.

Thank God we were in the covered pavilion and not out on the lawn - we got a respite from the rain. Also, as we entered our assigned row, I realized that we were randomly standing next to one of The Rockists and two other friends from the neighborhood.

We also decided to leave before the 2nd Encore so that we could beat traffic back to DC. While I'm not normally one to leave before the end of anything, I thought this was a great decision. Our premium parking and early departure got us out right away. And on a night where my shoes were filled with water, that was a good thing.

So...how was the show?

Set List:

All I Need - Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Lucky - Nude - Pyramid Song - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - Myxomatosis - Idioteque - Faust Arp - Videotape - Paranoid Android - Just - Reckoner - Everything In Its Right Place - Bangers and Mash - Bodysnatchers

First Encore:

Like Spinning Plates - Optimistic - Karma Police - Go Slowly - Planet Telex

Second Encore:

Fake Plastic Trees - National Anthem - House of Cards

Um...the show was amazing. First of all, this was the best light show of any concert I've ever seen. The stage was covered in giant poles that lit up in every color of the rainbow (I guess you could say...In Rainbows? Ha ha). Some songs featured one particular color, some used several, some had the poles in an effect that looked like rain, and some like a classic spectrum analyzer. Behind the poles but still visible was a wide, short screen that featured live shots of individual band members while they were playing.

I was pleased that they played Pyramid Song, which is my favorite off of Amnesiac. Myxomatosis was frenetic and joyful...and unexpected, as they hadn't played it yet on this tour. I could do without the album version of Idioteque, but it's an entirely different animal live.

I love you, scary Radiohead Bear

Thom Yorke thanked all of us for coming and braving the rain and apologized for our bad day - and then rewarded us by delivering an unbelievable Paranoid Android. The sound was clear and the energy was high. During the fast portions, the poles flickered back and forth between a bright red and a royal blue so fast and so wildly that even a proper description of it could trigger seizures. That was immediately followed by a driving Just.

Reckoner will become a go-to song for them, if it isn't already, and was a good lead in to crowd-pleaser Everything In Its Right Place.

After ending the main set with the energy boost that is Bodysnatchers and a quick break, they came out and delivered a stunning encore, especially strong with a really clean version of Optimistic. I think everyone in the place was a little surprised to hear Karma Police - but nobody complained. It was one of the best songs of the night, and the soaked-through crowd was happy to sing along. That was all I needed to see. We left after Planet Telex - which was another surprise.

All in all, I couldn't have asked for much more. It was a great mix of old and new. The music was great, the performance was great, and it was visually appealing. Awesome.