There's no mistaking that Canada's Arcade Fire isn't quite the darling it once was. The Grammy-winning orchestral rock outfit's latest album, the dance and synth-intensive Everything Now, has garnered the mildest reviews of the group's 15-plus years together.
Major national outlets such as Spin and Pitchfork, sites that once heaped descriptors such as "sumptuously theatrical," "shimmering" and "empowering" on the group during its first three record releases, have recently slapped the band with terms like "joyless" and "particularly bad."
But in the middle of a half-empty (or was it half-full?) American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thursday night, Win Butler and the rest of the nine-member crew displayed plenty of joy and verve.
In an often bombastic display, Arcade Fire proved it knows how to send its flavor of artsy indie rock soaring into an arena's rafters, whether there's anyone up there. And for the record, the new album isn't half as grim or lifeless as some major critics say.
With a stage set up like a boxing ring in the center of the arena floor, each band member walked out underneath a spotlight as an announcer introduced the band members as though they were walking into a heavyweight title fight. Slapping high-fives with fans on both sides of the walkway, Butler and the rest made their way to the ring with the swagger of Conor McGregor. For a band that has supposedly lost its joy, it sure seemed to be having fun. Upon entering the squared circle, the group urgently kicked into new songs "Everything Now" and "Signs of Life," with a throbbing pulse that could not be mistaken for flat or bloodless.
In all fairness, the band has done plenty to create its own grim identity. Employing odd and suspicious publicity stunts to promote the new record -- including crafting its own fake reviews and fake websites -- it's tough to tell where the judgment ends and the satire begins. It was a clever, if not preachy, strategy aimed at putting a mirror in front of content-obsessed, instant-gratification listeners. But thankfully, the band kept gripes about modern consumerism to a minimum, aside from some video accompaniment on the four-sided screen above the stage.
Judging by the response the crowd offered for "Rebellion (Lies)," arguably the band's most popular song, the thousands on hand seemed to feel just fine about the band.
The performance was muscular with plenty of rough edges not heard on the record, and they provided a crackling energy all night. As Butler hopped around on the stage to address all sides of the audience, he didn't resemble the often dour-looking, politically outspoken leader he often comes off as in the press.
Delightful multi-instrumentalist Regine Chassagne (who happens to also be Butler's wife) sang lead on the disco-laden "Electric Blue" and "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)." The array of expert synth and keyboard sounds throughout the night were a revelation.
Butler brought out his prickly side when at the end of an otherwise stunning, reverent take on "Neon Bible," he chuckled softly and chastised some in the crowd: "That's the first time anyone's ever talked through that song; thanks, Dallas."
After that, another strikingly reflective song, "My Body is a Cage," gave him a chance to harness his frustration as the dramatic, jarring climax of crashing cymbals collided with the thunderous pounding of a massive drum.
A couple of tunes from Grammy-winning record The Suburbs were clear and vibrant, an easy reminder why that album is held up as a modern classic. As smoke billowed over the stage, "Creature Comforts," from the latest record, featured more danceable synth success.
Lights on for @arcadefire during "Neon Bible" pic.twitter.com/xDdRhL6jFO
— Kelly Dearmore (@KellyRDearmore) September 29, 2017
A-list bands -- lucky ones -- get to experience Grammy awards, elaborate promotional stunts and the hearts and darts of critics. But there are really only two things a band can do to stay relevant in the face of a changing industrial, social and political climate: make killer records and perform killer shows. To its credit, Arcade Fire is joyfully doing both.
