Radiohead, Parc Jean Drapeau, Aug. 6th, 2008

Radiohead live at Parc Jean Drapeau in Montréal on Aug. 6th was a visceral treat for the senses. The park was full of mud, one section of the sky adorned with a rainbow (fitting for their In Rainbows tour), and another with the sun quizzically shooting through the ominous thunder clouds, who fortunately did not bombard us with their slippery electric booty. After dark, a crescent moon shown bright and the closing ceremonies from L'International des Feux Loto-Québec gave us a picturesque pyrotechnic display, an accidental celestial salute to England's most enduring post-1980s alternative-rock band. Their accompanying light show displayed a wide spectrum of oranges and blues, reds and greens, browns and yellows, which distributed an energetic dreamlike presence throughout the crowd, whose accompanying sweetly flowing bed was gently laid-out by Radiohead's angst-driven disenfranchised lyrics, blanketed by their melodic harmonies. The music was great, the band was tight, the spectacle impressive, and opening act Grizzly Bear not to shabby. It's nice to listen to a band whose music continues to change and grow, avoiding the smarmy, maudlin fens that claim so many successful groups, separating the professionals from the one-hit wonders, in a prolonged, vibrating, sustain.