Monday, 8/4/97 Radiohead show no ‘Let Down’ for sold-out Wiltern
audience MUSIC: Emotional performance lives up to hype generated by
release of epic latest album
By Mike Prevatt Daily Bruin Senior Staff Alternative music may
be on its deathbed, but don’t count out everyone just yet.
Radiohead’s show at the Wiltern Theater on July 26 intoxicated and
dazzled the sold-out crowd, ready for a taste of the Oxford
quintet’s Gen X progressive rock sound. It was the first stop on
the second leg of their U.S. tour this year, drawing heavily from
both their underbought, underrated classic, "The Bends" (1995), and
their new sci-fi opus, "O.K. Computer." This particular tour had
built up quite a bit of talk and hype. Tickets for the Wiltern
performance went on sale a week after Radiohead’s appearance at the
KROQ Weenie Roast and their Troubadour show, which had sold out in
seconds. The Wiltern show sold out immediately as well, a full
month before the performance date. During the show, you couldn’t
walk ten feet outside the venue without having scalpers fight over
your money and tickets. Fans arrived early for once in anticipation
of the buzz-heavy show. Lead singer Thom Yorke dedicated the new
hit single, "Let Down," to "the people that didn’t get in …
y’know, the people with those signs that say ‘tickets, please’."
Radiohead’s spectacular presentation benefitted from a stellar
atmosphere rock shows usually aren’t lucky enough to have. The
lighting rarely shined upon Yorke and his bandmates; rather, it
shone behind them, almost silhouetting the band. Glowing in
soothing purples, blues, oranges and greens through the heavy
smoke, the lights accented the moodier pieces beautifully. For
edgier pieces, on the other hand, fans were bombarded by the sonic
assaults and strobe lights. Fan enthusiasm added to the ambiance.
Songs that had never played on the radio received
louder-than-expected roars, especially material from "The Bends."
Few sing-alongs could be heard, but the crowd swayed and moved
throughout the night. The music really drew the watchers in.
Radiohead played from the heart, whether through the prominent
rhythm section, thanks to bassist Colin Greenwood and drummer Phil
Selway, or Yorke’s captivating and emotional vocals. Not once did
Yorke seem to be going through the motions; his pain and thoughts
were felt and realized in every song. The band haunted, worked-up
and soothed the crowd. Yorke deserves much of the credit for his
ability to perfectly parallel the music with his finely-tuned
voice. Radiohead opened with the awkward and too-mellow "Aircrash,"
and surprised the audience by closing with "Subterranean Homesick
Alien." Had Radiohead played its set list in reverse order, it
would have made more sense as far as rock shows go, but let’s not
expect Radiohead to be pragmatists here. The band showcased much of
the spacey "O.K. Computer," ranging from the chaotic single
"Paranoid Android" to the stripped-down "Karma Police." The
standout track from their new, orgiastically praised record was the
tortured ballad, "Let Down." The song sounded like its recorded
version but soared higher because of the Wiltern’s PA system.
Radiohead reached into its ol’ bag-of-classics, delighting the
crowd with fantastic versions of the anguished "Nice Dream" and
their still-signature song, "Creep." Introducing "Creep," Yorke
said, "We’ll play this song, ’cause … it’s still a good song."
Although "Creep" and "You" – the two songs they played from their
first album, "Pablo Honey" – differed tremendously from their
newer, more synthesized and progressive material, they didn’t seem
out of place. The songs’ distressing aura fit in nicely with the
techno-angst of their more recent works. Highlights included "Talk
Show Host," their contribution to the multi-platinum-selling "Romeo
+ Juliet" soundtrack, and the gorgeously depressing "Fake Plastic
Trees." The encore contained such delights as their Smiths-esque
"Electioneering" and "Street Spirit." After "Street Spirit," the
nearly 2-hour show apparently ended and Radiohead left the stage.
The lights remained off. About 20 percent of the crowd left, only
to rush back three minutes later when Radiohead shocked the crowd
by re-emerging from backstage. Yorke took the mike, saying, "This
song is gonna cost us $500 … " referring to the curfew/time
limit, and launched into a brilliant rendition of "Subterranean
Homesick Alien." Radiohead left the Wiltern stage after almost two
hours of incredible musicianship to an ardent ovation from its
musically sated fans. Capitol Records (l-r) Ed O’Brien, Jonny
Greenwood, Phil Selway, Thom Yorke and Colin Greenwood of
Radiohead. You couldn’t walk ten feet outside the venue without
having scalpers fight over your money and tickets. Related Link:
Rub here for the Chat transcript