radiohead

Photo: Natalie Kardos

After having listened to Radiohead for what seemed like forever, I finally got to see them. And it was every bit as surreal as a juggernaut such as Radiohead should be when experienced live. Not only was I about 8 rows back and directly in front of Thom out of a crowd of (if estimates are to be believed) 80,000, but it was fucking Radiohead! I understand that such a lofty title as "the best band in the world" should not be taken lightly, but I do believe there to be no contest as to the sheer awesomeness of this band. It's not even that they have to be your favorite band, I just feel like there's no real way believe that anything else happening in mainstream rock even compares. The fact that these guys have landed in the mainstream rock category is impressive enough with such a varied discography as they've culled over the years. 

Live, they played a heavy In Rainbows set that also drew greats from Kid A, Amnesiac, and OK Computer. Although the sound cut out twice, I still can't say that it was anything less than stellar. I hope the reason behind the technical difficulties arose from the carbon-neutral effort they put into the tour, an effort I greatly admire. The lights/visuals were spectacular as well. 

Seriously, Radiohead has the whole package. They've got a great live show, they make mind-bending albums, they care about the environment, they're all extremely talented musicians, and from the smiles on each members' face while they played to an adoring audience at the famed Golden Gate Park, they are extremely humble given their situation.