I just can't turn away from anything related to the Arcade Fire. Whether they are taking the collective bathroom break, or making a new record, or singing outside of churches - I will never be able to deny this band.
Speaking of the latter in that series, the Arcade Fire is currently on tour of the UK, playing the randomest of venues across the island nation - churches. While this trend is continuing across the seas in Montreal and New York in the coming weeks, let's hope that another trend of this tour manifests itself. After playing sets that probably last an hour or a little more, the band members take to the church steps for the encore.
Uh, yeah. You know, like the outside of churches... and how they all have steps into them? Those steps are the next stage for the band's performances.
Maybe it's an attempt to get to the fans who weren't as close as they could've been at the actual show (you know, with seats and a proper stage, etc.). Maybe it's an attempt to connect to new fans and be as intimate as possible by literally playing in a crowd. Or maybe they are just passionate about what they do and what they represent to their fans. Who knows, but whatever their motives are, I think it's just the coolest thing around.
I mean, the Arcade Fire aren't the world's most important band (yet), but to reach out and be cavaliers with their fans is pretty unreal. I've always heard stories about bands "returning to their roots" by playing dive bars or doing record signings or something - but THIS, this isn't even a retread of their past. This is something that everyone who was a part of it will remember it for quite a while. It's not every day that you have the opportunity to actually stand next to your favorite band (literally!) while they play for you and the few hundred (if that many!) that surround you.
To get a glimpse of what the Arcade Fire are doing across the UK, check out their encore from their gig at the Porchester Hall in London just last night:
And if you can tolerate Regine's wimpers, take a look at this vid from the 29th of January after the Arcade Fire performed at St. John's Church, also in London:
Showing posts with label jealousy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jealousy. Show all posts
2007/01/23
'06-'07 All-Star Week...?
For a minute there, I wanted to say All-Star WeekEND, but then I caught myself. Maybe an event like this should take place on a weekend... and on a channel that I can watch. BUT! That's for another story.
I won't be watching the NHL's All-Star game. I won't be taking in any of the pre-game festivities that include the Skills Competition or the YoungStars game. I won't actually hear any sound files on the television about the NHL's new direction when it comes to the uniforms the plays will wear next season. And I'll have to read about the results and live vicariously though pictures.
I remember growing up as a kid, probably 10, maybe 11 or 12, and watching the Skills Competition on TV (readily available, what?!) and watching players dance around pilons on the ice, timing their trials. I remember watching players fire ridiculously fast slap-shots and being amazed that a puck can travel in excess of 100 MPH (ask Al MacInnis!). And who can forget Ray Bourque's accuracy on net? All of those festivities, including the game itself, make for an amazing All-Star event... possibly the best of its type among the other sports leagues in this country. While I did get into the Quarterback Challenges during the mid-90s, those weren't directly tied to the NFL Pro Bowl (not that I can recall) and they only focused on one aspect of the game - the quarterback. The NHL Skills Competition takes players from ALL positions and puts their abilities to the test - for the benefit of bragging rights around the league and for the bewilderment and excitement of the fans watching. What other sport does that? Baseball has the Home-run Derby, and the NBA has a Slam Dunk Competition (and even a 3-point Shootout, too?). But where the other leagues miss, the NHL nails it perfectly.
After watching these kind of events, you immediately become tied to players who excelled in certain areas. You instantaneously remember facts like what I mentioned earlier. That's what also makes these events special - you learn more about the players in the league that you wouldn't normally be exposed to, whether it be because of scheduling or because you're just the "casual fan". Putting a face/name/number to a particular skill makes that person noteworthy and you'll be hard-placed to forget them for at least excelling in that particular skill. I mean, we all know that Ilya Kovalchuk has a wicked-fast slap-slot from the point when he can hit the one-timer, but if for one night we can put a number attached to that slap-shot ("OMG, he just put a 110+ MPH slapper in the net from in between the circles/on the blueline/etc.!!!"), we know what to fear and what to be proud of as fans.
I'm just a bit sad that I'm going to miss these events that I think I've seen only a handful of times growing up. I was sooooo excited when I heard that the All-Star game was coming to Atlanta in the '04-'05 season. And yeah, like everyone else, I was pretty letdown when the lockout happened and cancelled the season. What really hit hard, though, was that I was going to miss the All-Star festivities AGAIN. Even when it comes to where I live, I miss out on it somehow. Now that it WILL make its stop in Atlanta next season, it's really pointless to say that, "I'm excited about this!" I know what happens when these events take place - the city gets transformed as the best hockey players from the best hockey league in the world converge in one area for a few days and everyone celebrates their abilities. Of course, there are the things I mentioned, but there are many more things for the fans to take in. I could just imagine the GWCC opening its doors to hockey fans from across the world and exposing them to every single facet of the game - from the uniforms, to the Stanley Cup, to All-Stars of yesteryear, to collector's items, to apparel from every team... you get the point.
Just be glad that you have this opportunity, Dallas, and soak it up. But come next year, I'm going buck-wild during those days that the hockey world puts all of its attention on Atlanta.
For a magnitude of information about the events going on this week in Dallas, the NHL website has a whole area devoted to just this (and rightfully so!).
NHL '06'-'07 All-Star Game in Dallas: http://www.nhl.com/allstar/2007/index.html
All-Star festivities for fans: http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=285594
I won't be watching the NHL's All-Star game. I won't be taking in any of the pre-game festivities that include the Skills Competition or the YoungStars game. I won't actually hear any sound files on the television about the NHL's new direction when it comes to the uniforms the plays will wear next season. And I'll have to read about the results and live vicariously though pictures.
I remember growing up as a kid, probably 10, maybe 11 or 12, and watching the Skills Competition on TV (readily available, what?!) and watching players dance around pilons on the ice, timing their trials. I remember watching players fire ridiculously fast slap-shots and being amazed that a puck can travel in excess of 100 MPH (ask Al MacInnis!). And who can forget Ray Bourque's accuracy on net? All of those festivities, including the game itself, make for an amazing All-Star event... possibly the best of its type among the other sports leagues in this country. While I did get into the Quarterback Challenges during the mid-90s, those weren't directly tied to the NFL Pro Bowl (not that I can recall) and they only focused on one aspect of the game - the quarterback. The NHL Skills Competition takes players from ALL positions and puts their abilities to the test - for the benefit of bragging rights around the league and for the bewilderment and excitement of the fans watching. What other sport does that? Baseball has the Home-run Derby, and the NBA has a Slam Dunk Competition (and even a 3-point Shootout, too?). But where the other leagues miss, the NHL nails it perfectly.
After watching these kind of events, you immediately become tied to players who excelled in certain areas. You instantaneously remember facts like what I mentioned earlier. That's what also makes these events special - you learn more about the players in the league that you wouldn't normally be exposed to, whether it be because of scheduling or because you're just the "casual fan". Putting a face/name/number to a particular skill makes that person noteworthy and you'll be hard-placed to forget them for at least excelling in that particular skill. I mean, we all know that Ilya Kovalchuk has a wicked-fast slap-slot from the point when he can hit the one-timer, but if for one night we can put a number attached to that slap-shot ("OMG, he just put a 110+ MPH slapper in the net from in between the circles/on the blueline/etc.!!!"), we know what to fear and what to be proud of as fans.
I'm just a bit sad that I'm going to miss these events that I think I've seen only a handful of times growing up. I was sooooo excited when I heard that the All-Star game was coming to Atlanta in the '04-'05 season. And yeah, like everyone else, I was pretty letdown when the lockout happened and cancelled the season. What really hit hard, though, was that I was going to miss the All-Star festivities AGAIN. Even when it comes to where I live, I miss out on it somehow. Now that it WILL make its stop in Atlanta next season, it's really pointless to say that, "I'm excited about this!" I know what happens when these events take place - the city gets transformed as the best hockey players from the best hockey league in the world converge in one area for a few days and everyone celebrates their abilities. Of course, there are the things I mentioned, but there are many more things for the fans to take in. I could just imagine the GWCC opening its doors to hockey fans from across the world and exposing them to every single facet of the game - from the uniforms, to the Stanley Cup, to All-Stars of yesteryear, to collector's items, to apparel from every team... you get the point.
Just be glad that you have this opportunity, Dallas, and soak it up. But come next year, I'm going buck-wild during those days that the hockey world puts all of its attention on Atlanta.
For a magnitude of information about the events going on this week in Dallas, the NHL website has a whole area devoted to just this (and rightfully so!).
NHL '06'-'07 All-Star Game in Dallas: http://www.nhl.com/allstar/2007/index.html
All-Star festivities for fans: http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=285594
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