Radiohead Live!

What a night, what a night. And I don’t just mean music-wise.

It was a rainy, rainy outdoor concert, here in Vancouver, with an English band……how typical. I was literally soaked to my knickers by the time I finally got into my car after the night.

And my glasses frame got screwed up by a crowd surfer – believe it or not, she was in fact a topless woman. How disturbing. But let’s not dwell on that imagery…

This was definitely the best concert I have been to thus far. Not only because of the stage presence of Thom Yorke and the band, or the amazing riffs and effects and lights and atmosphere, etc., but because I actually know and love almost every single song on the setlist. I can’t say that about most bands.

By the end of the night, he gave us a choice of either “Idioteque” (the song we did DRIME to in Halifax!) or “Paranoid Android” to end the whole set……no need for me to tell you which one got more screams and support. By the time they got to the bridge, when everyone in the stadium sang along, it literally sent shivers down my spine:

“Rain down, rain down, come on rain down on me, from a great height, from a great height…”

How fitting.

Another great song that sent shivers down my spine was, of course, “Karma Police”, as noted in one of my previous posts. Great song. Also one where everyone just sang along. I was surprised that I still remember all the words from learning it back in, what was it now, grade 10?

I was actually quite close to the stage for the first 4 songs or so, but I really couldn’t stand the “moshing” (not really moshing, more just whole crowd leaning from one side to another…). Still, I got the chance to jump around a bit (albeit on the same spot LOL) for most of the songs off Kid A.

“National Anthem” was definitely one of the most badass tunes, with “Sit Down. Stand Up.” closely in second place. But the thing is, there was no horn section in National Anthem, but that’s my favourite part……

“Just” and “Everything in its Right Place” both got tons of screams from me, haha. Shame they never did “My Iron Lung” or “High and Dry” or “Creep”. Weird thing about “Creep” is that Radiohead themselves actually don’t like it, and they never understood why it has been such a hit. If anything, “Anyone Can Play Guitar” should be the hit from that same album.

I have to say overall it was a great night, everything from the music to the band to the crowd. They definitely suck at letting people out of the stadium, and shame it was raining, but other than that, a memorable night for sure.

Now I can tell my grandchildren I saw Radiohead, my favourite band.

Why I am excited about Radiohead

RADIOHEADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Radiohead in 3 days!! YES, JUST 3 MORE DAYS UNTIL I SEE THEM IN THE FLESH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you think I was excited about seeing Becks back when he came to Seattle and then Vancouver, well, I’m gonna tell you that I’m at least 2.89 times more excited about seeing Radiohead.

Let me put this into context, so you don’t think I’m just some random teenage So Cal girl or something.

You see, the first ever song – and I do mean first ever – I “jammed” with anyone was a Radiohead tune. It was “Karma Police” off their OK Computer album.  Yeah, that little piano riff in the intro still sticks with me today.

Before downloading their tunes off Napster (yes, I’m talking about the Napster days, when I was still only in grade 9 or 10), I had always just listened to Canto-pop.  Was probably a bit obsessed with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” too, but then again everyone was back in those days.

But then my friend – the same friend I eventually jammed “Karma Police” with – introduced me to “My Iron Lung”, and the name Radiohead just stuck with me ever since.

They are pretty much the first “band” I listened to, and they are still most definitely at the top of my list today.

Admittedly, there was a spell when I couldn’t stand them, when I thought that Kid A was too pretentious.  Thought you had to be high on drugs to appreciate them. But albums like Kid A and Amnesiac definitely grew on me, so much so that I prefer them over the more “normal” stuff like The Bends and Pablo Honey these days.

Not to mention that even while on the Halifax Project last summer, when we did D.R.I.M.E. (this dance/skit thing for street evangelism), we did it to a tune off the Kid A album.

Not to mention that my whole conversion from being a “God-believing” kid to a churchgoer to a Christian all started from that jamming experience with the friend, who eventually led me to the church that I still attend now.

If you don’t know Radiohead, then you mustn’t waste your time listening to pop bands like Coldplay.

Go listen to the proper stuff.

HERE I COME THUNDERBIRD STADIUM!!!!!!!!!!!