Radiohead Concert

Last night's show was awesome.  But, thanks to the downpour and the complete crapfest of administration at the Nissan Pavilion, it took more than 2 ¹/₂ hours to get there -- and the same amount of time to get back.  My friends and I left DC at 6:45.  It's supposed to take under an hour to get there with no traffic, and an hour and a half to get there with concert traffic.   So theoretically, we should have arrived no later than 8:45 (even including our half-hour stop for food, which of course didn't happen on the way back). 

Instead, we didn't get to our seats until 9:45.  By then, Radiohead had already performed half their first set.  This seemed really shitty -- until I realized that a lot of fans who came down for the show didn't make it at all.  Some roads were closed due to flooding, and the band announced this at the beginning of the third set (and then dedicated "Fake Plastic Trees" to them).  It never stopped pouring down rain the entire time.  We all got soaked (from the waist down), and for a May day it was REALLY cold.  The band referenced this on their official site.

Here is the setlist.  The songs we missed are italicized:

All I Need
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Lucky
15 Step
Nude
Pyramid Song
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Myxomatosis
Idioteque
Faust Arp
Videotape
Paranoid Android
Just
Reckoner
Everything In Its Right Place
Bangers + Mash
Bodysnatchers
Like Spinning Plates

----
Optimistic
Karma Police
Go Slowly
Planet Telex

----
Fake Plastic Trees
The National Anthem
House of Cards

"Idioteque" was playing as we ran into the venue; we got to our seats a couple of minutes before "Paranoid Android" began.  I'm really annoyed about missing "Lucky," "Myxomatosis," and "15 Step."  But of course, we are lucky to have made it at all.

Here's what was good about the show: the band did a long set, with decent amounts of material from all their albums (except of course for Pablo Honey; they never do anything from that album).  Their stage set was the most unique thing I've ever seen, and one of the coolest sets I've ever seen.  As usual, every song sounded better live than on CD. 

There were quite a few things I didn't like.  First among them was the Nissan Pavilion.  I know the weather was a huge factor, but come on.  I've seen a couple of shows there before, but this traffic was on a whole new level.  Even worse was the lack of direction when the show was over.  There was no event staff directing traffic out of the parking lots, leading to a clusterfuck of obscene proportions. We spent at least 45 minutes not moving an inch while waiting to get out before we finally spotted a shortcut and went for it.  Rarely have I seen so many aggressive drivers in one place. 

As for the show itself, the most innovative thing about it (the stage set) was also its biggest weakness.  The set was very cool looking, and they had a screen in the back that showed live closeups of the band members playing.  There was just one problem: the light bars than hung down over the band both obscured the screen and made it difficult to really connect with the artists playing on stage.  The ability to really watch what the band members were doing, and see the expressions on their faces, is what made my previous Radiohead concert a moving, almost religious experience.  Although it was still a great show, the effects and flashing lights across the set killed the connection aspect for me. 

Finally, I think Thom Yorke's voice had a slightly off night -- some of the notes he hit (and didn't even try to hit) reminded me of times I've tried to sing and my voice wasn't quite in top form.  Part of this might have been the sheer length of the set, though: he probably had to save himself at certain points. [No, I'm not comparing my voice to his voice, smartypants.]

Anyway, it was a great show bracketed by a horrible overall experience.  Go see Radiohead.  Avoid Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge in Bristow, VA at all fucking costs.      

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