If you had told me in the early ‘90s that Radiohead would be selling out arenas, I would’ve never thought it possible. Perhaps I underestimate people and their taste for something grand. Or, perhaps I just never wished Radiohead to be music for the masses, but here we are.
Radiohead has started its recent tour with four NYC dates at Madison Square Garden, and closed it with two dates at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center—and to packed houses everywhere in between. I always thought (and still do) that Radiohead has a more intimate relationship with its audience, and the fact that it’s been six years since Radiohead have toured the US—die-hard fans have been truly and deeply excited.
The band’s 2018 tour pulls from a myriad of material from throughout their catalog, focusing heavily from albums OK Computer, Hail to the Thief, and Kid A, with room for The Bends’ favorite “Fake Plastic Trees” and “Pyramid Song” from the Amnesiac album.
Amidst the barrage of song after sweet song are the sonics themselves. Radiohead has always invested in experimental sounds and methods, and ironically, it seems it’s more about control than it is about loosening the reins. Radiohead has walked this line since their inception, and it’s the push/pull of this tension that keeps the band fresh and innovative throughout its years.
SETLIST
Daydreaming
Desert Island Disk
Ful Stop
2 + 2 = 5
The Gloaming
All I Need
Pyramid Song
No Surprises
Airbag
Separator
Bloom
I Might Be Wrong
Talk Show Host
Nude
The Numbers
The National Anthem
Decks Dark
A Wolf at the Door
Bodysnatchers
Feral
Fake Plastic Trees
Present Tense
Paranoid Android
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
