VALANIA REPORTS: Having written several thousand, I feel qualified to state quite authoritatively that live concert reviews are functionally useless things. They’re like a fish that does push-ups. The people that care actually go to the concert, and the people that stay home don’t bother to read reviews of concerts they didn’t care enough about to go to in the first place. I would have mentioned this earlier but, hey, we all gotta eat, right? Anyway, instead of the usual play-by-play palaver, I’ll let my blurry pictures paint a thousand slurred words, except to say this:
1. This was the first night of Radiohead’s U.S. tour and word has it tix were going for $900 on eBay. Which only goes to show you some people have too much money.

2. When I walked into the Tower and the house lights were up, there was a thick fog hanging over everything. “I guess they’re letting people smoke at rock concerts again,” I thought to myself, “Awww, how thoughtful.” Turns out that was steam. It was hot, like, Viet-Nam hot.

3. Speaking of smoking, I don’t know if it’s too late for the cops to do anything about it, but if any cops are reading this you should know there was a LOT of pot smoking going on. A whole LOT. Actually, now that I think about it, that seems like something for legislators to address, not law enforcement. Note to self: Call Congress. Straighten shit out.

4. From the look of things, Thom Yorke is still cutting his own hair — blindfolded.

5. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, in terms of real-deal, plug-in and sweat rock bands making adventurous and challenging music that resonates with a massive global audience, Radiohead is peerless. The fact that you’ve “outgrown” them or were always too cool to care in the first place changes that not a whit. Well done, Gentlemen. Well done.
Flickr: Radiohead Snaps & Kids A, B and C
Pitchfork: Gettin’ Their Peanut Butter All Up In Our Chocolate
Set list? Boy, you really are a dork…

01 You And Whose Army
02 The National Anthem
03 2+2=5
04 Open Pick
05 15 Step
06 Exit Music
07 Kid A
08 Nude
09 Arpeggi
10 Street Spirit
11 Pyramid Song
12 Myxomatosis
13 House of Cards
14 Spooks
15 Idioteque
16 Bangers N Mash
17 There There

Encore 1:
18 Airbag
19 No Surprises
20 Bodysnatchers
21 Everything in its right place

Encore 2:
22 4 Minute Warning
23 Karma Police

This entry was posted on Friday, June 2nd, 2006 at 4:37 am.