Arcade Fire w/Manchester Orchestra
American Family Insurance Amphitheater 200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Arcade Fire’s return to Milwaukee is long overdue: The Canadian band hasn’t played Milwaukee since they headlined the small Riverwest club Mad Planet in 2004, long before they were one of the biggest and most iconic bands in indie-rock. The group is coming off of a bit of a humbling year that saw their latest album, Everything Now, get largely shrugged off by critics and an audacious, satirical promotional campaign for the album blow up in their faces. But that doesn’t undo their previous accomplishments (including a 2011 Album of the Year Grammy for The Suburbs). And although Everything Now isn’t one of their best, it’s still a bright, pleasurable album that reveals its treasures over time, and these new songs should lend themselves well to Arcade Fire’s signature, grandiose stage treatment.