Last night I went to see Arcade Fire play at the Gexa Energy Pavilion that used to be called the Superpages.com Center , the Smirnof music center before that and the Coca-cola starplex amphitheater before that. This was the first time that I ever went there to see a show and walking around kinda gives me the feeling of being at the state fair with many of the same iconic fair concessions being deep-fried all around the venue. The stormy weather that rolled through the area just before the gates opened kept most people off the lawn area and under the mostly water proof roof that covers the seats at the Gexa Energy Pavilion.
In the last six years since Arcade Fire last played in Dallas at the much smaller venue Trees they have received several Grammy awards and have seen an explosion in popularity with their 2006 album Neon Bible and their 2010 followup The Suburbs. Opening acts for Arcade Fire were Schmillion and Okkervil River; both from Austin. I didn’t hear much of Schmillion but I really liked Okkervil River and will be getting their new album when it comes out on May 10th.
Arcade Fire’s set was an energetic line up of the hits that the crowd would riot if they didn’t play and a nice mix of deeper cuts and newer songs off the latest album. There really wasn’t a “time to go pee” song in their lineup and carried the energy through their final song Wake Up from their 2004 debut album.
Arcade Fire lead singer Win Butler told stories about missing ‘warm rain’ that he remembered from growing up in Huston being reminded by the warm rain that blew through Saturday afternoon during sound check. He also talking about going to a French restaurant with his wife and band member Regine and seeing Dallas Mavs player Tyson Chandler coming in to eat dinner and asking the waitress about the dishes that they served then saying ‘no thanks’ and walking out. Who doesn’t love a good crepe?