I traveled back to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for the second of two arena shows in less than five days. This time it was for Radiohead’s 2018 summer tour. Since OK Computer (1997) I’ve been a moderate fan, loosely following the band over the next decade. When In Rainbows came out in 2007, I started digging deeper and deeper into their catalog, even covering a couple songs with my band Here Inside. So when the opportunity came around to see them live, I jumped at the chance and certainly picked a great tour for my inaugural Radiohead experience.
The show I caught was August 1, the second of two nights in Philly and the final night of the tour. They put together a career spanning two and half hour rotating set list, but from what I can tell online, each show opened with “Daydreaming” from their latest studio album A Moon Shaped Pool (2016). Each song’s light show had a color theme complemented by abstract projected video that was mixed with a live montage of close-ups of the band members. Between songs the lights would consistently switch back to a white disco ball starburst, with bright rays cutting through the haze to points all around the arena while the band prepared for the next song.
The instrument configuration remained similar for most of the night, with Thom Yorke playing various guitars or taking the mic solo and Johnny Greenwood switching between guitars and keyboards. During the more electronic and experimental songs like “Everything In Its Right Place” and “Idioteque” which were two of my favorite moments of the night, things got a bit more interesting with other band members taking on additional synth and percussion roles. Overall the performance and musicianship were outstanding, bringing a tremendous amount of energy to the stage and the room. The hours flew by and before we knew it we were into the second encore of the show ending with my two other favorite moments for the night, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” and “Karma Police”, complete with a full on audience sing along to wrap up the tour. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the live side of a band that I’ve come to love and respect over the years and I’m looking forward to experience plenty more Radiohead shows in the future.
Thanks to Jim Powers for posting these awesome videos from the show: