APW Main Event: Radiohead (8/9)
Radiohead returned to All Points West on Saturday night for the conclusion of their epic two night headlining stint at the inaugural edition of the Jersey City based music festival. Going into the night, the question certainly on everybody’s mind was, simply put, what would Radiohead do? How would Thom Yorke and company follow up on day one’s fun, which included a rousing rendition of “Just” and “Idioteque”? Would the set be more ruckus, more rare, or simply, the same as before?
Our questions were soon answered as the first sounds of “Reckoner” brilliant filled Liberty State Park.
Radiohead’s second and final show this evening at All Points West was a mellow, ballad-heavy set, delighting front-row die-hards as usual, and seeming to please more or less everyone else.
The band worked through classics like “The National Anthem” and “Kid A,” professional to a fault. Perhaps with news of yesterday’s setlist, tonight’s crowd expected more dancing, because it seemed to throb at every suggestion of a techno beat.
Once again, the hypnotic lighting was half the show’s punch, especially from the back half of a 20 000 strong crowd.
My nostalgic hopes for “Creep” went unsatisfied, but I can’t really blame a band for not playing their maiden hit from 26 years ago. The show closer was “Idioteque,” leading people straight from the Blue Comet Stage over to the dance tent.
While perhaps not as surprise-heavy as some of us hoped, but then again, Radiohead never does anything by the book, the diversity and quality of the evening’s set provided another vivid example of what just makes these English natives so compelling. As a packed house of people looked on, Radiohead delivered a performance exhibiting the definition of perfection. Between the sound, stimulating visuals and even transition from “Planet Telex” into “Idioteque” last night would be considered a concert of the ages for most. But for Radiohead, it’s just part of the job.
Setlist:
01. Reckoner
02. 15 Step
03. National Anthem
04. Kid A
05. All I Need
06. Nude
07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
08. Where I End and You Begin
09. The Gloaming
10. Faust Arp
11. No Surprises
12. The Bends
13. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
14. Bangers and Mash
15. Everything In Its Right Place
16. Exit Music (for a film)
17. Bodysnatchers
Encore 1
18. Pyramid Song
19. Videotape
20. Airbag
21. Fake Plastic Trees
22. There There
Encore 2
23. House of Cards
24. Planet Telex
25. Idioteque
Additional photographs via WNEW.com and Associated Press...
“but I can’t really blame a band for not playing their maiden hit from 26 years ago.”
OOOPS! More like 15-16 years ago.
I thought last nights show rocked more than Fri night. Both were incredible!
Great show terrible venue. Such a shame to see such an environmentally concencerned band play at a festival that trashed a state park. Long walks to bathrooms. I waited literally one hour to get a beer and was sheltered like cattle in one spot drinking, not permitted to leave the drinking area. Liberal crowd with such a conservative venue. Too many rules. They even had a 5 drink limit!!!! Never again will I participate in such a terrible venue.
the show was awesome and the lighting was absolutely amazing. The venue was great, the bathrooms were a bit of a walk but there was a large number of them reducing wait times. Im personally glad about how they handled the beer, the 5 beer limit and difficulty in getting it kept me from being drunk at the show. This also helped with the trash. The park personnel also did a great job cleaning up between days
my only complaint is that I would have liked to be able to sit during the show for a few minutes.
So much for my after-hours math skills!
And yeah, I’d agree with Michael J that though Radiohead put on a good show, LSP wasn’t the optimal venue.
I doubt this festival will live to see another year. I loved APW….it reminded me of Vegoose. The location was amazing…not even Coachella can compete with the scenery.
The downsides were $4 water (although there was a refill station that seemed to emerge half way through the festival) $9 beer (????) and ppl sneaking in (not really a bad thing). Alot of ppl were pissed about the mass amounts of ppl sneaking in (Coachella priced ticket for 1/3 the acts, while whole groups of ppl were getting in free…seriously today I was in a group of 6..no one paid).
I personally sold my Sunday ticket for $50…and was then invited into the park by a security worker because I was wearing a wristband from a club in Chicago that kinda sorta looked like the beer band (I probably shouldn’t have said that). Then I was given a wristband that said Jack Johson on it that would have apparently gotten me backstage had I received it 15 min earlier by a girl inside.
All and all, it was a blast. I thought Sat’s show tied the Bonnaroo show. If APW is back for round #2, I’m there.
oh and I totally forgot to mention the 5 beer rule….which you could easily send a non drinker in and get a band…pop it off…and get 5 more beers….which is what I did for a friend.
VIP TICKETS…WHAT A BIG JOKE AND WASTE OF MONEY
my daughter who was really there for Jack Johnson last night (sunday- her ultimate favorite) One of the first ones into the park w/my husband and stood from 2 til 11pm. Although she loved it and had a great view…we paid for vip tickets that were a total waste of money. the bleachers were set up pretty far away from the stage, really made no sense at all..I just could not believe what they charged for NOTHING!!!
I was at the Saturday Night show. OMG!!! It was a truly magical experience. As perfect a a newborn baby’s breath. I’m ruined for life. NOTHING will ever come close and I’ve not listened to any music for 2 days since. Completely afraid of erasing any memory. Radiohead was the most amazing live music “Event” I have ever had the Privilege of witnessing. The only thing that might have made the night any better was if they came home with use for a 3rd encore!!!! Unbelievable
Upon further review I have decided that Coachella does indead have better scenerey. Sorry I was still drunk from the APW after party in Jersey when I posted that.
Aug 14th, 2008 at 10:27 am
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Aug 14th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
[...] out. With fifteen minutes left of scheduled performance time, attendees left to get spots at Radiohead, leaving better views for the [...]