By: Jacob Calle

Houston holds a special place in their heart for Arcade Fire. Lead singer Win Butler and brother William Butler once resided in the suburbs of The Woodlands, which is where they grew up. Win also has a nice relationship with our very own Houston band, Pale. If you were there from the beginning then you most likely saw Arcade Fire at Walter’s On Washington with The Unicorns, Fiery Furnaces, and Austin’s UME. The audience immediately knew right away that this band was not fucking around. This is a band that you would want to jump on quick before they become the next big thing. And you know what? They were. Within a year later Arcade Fire came back to Houston headlined at Fat Cat’s (which is now Pearl Bar) with opening performer, Final Fantasy who stood in with Arcade Fire on violin. It was a sold out performance with the band closing to “Wake Up”. The woes that give birth to the song resurrected in the end as they exited the stage while still performing until they were out of audience’s site.

Arcade Fire had created a buzz that was louder than a hive of killer bees. Not just Houston or America, but the world was in love with this catastrophic orchestra riot who found their home in Montreal. This band was here to stay.

Since then, the band has played all over the world selling out venues, making records, and just recently won a Grammy. They’ve not played Houston since their Fat Cat’s show in 2024. Now Houston welcomes them back May 4th at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands where the Butler brothers can call their old stomping grounds. So can we say that this is a hometown show for the two? After all, this is what their latest record “The Suburbs” is about. The new album includes references to Houston’s on going street construction and how it felt growing up in a cookie cutting town. A town where society laid out your life for you to wake up in the morning, drink your coffee, go to work, go home, eat dinner, go to bed, and do it all over again, but Win and William had other plans. To be the biggest indie band in the world.

Wednesday May 4th
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
w/ Explosions in the Sky

Fan of Arcade Fire? Then check these out!

Owen Pallet/Final Fantasy
Owen used to play with Arcade. He is now successfully doing his own music which I am greatly fond of. He’s performed at Fat Cat’s, The Proletariat, and just recently at House of Blue opening for The National. Here’s a song dedicated to Win and Regine of Arcade Fire.

Little Scream
Co-produced by Richard Perry Reed of Arcade Fire. He also plays music with the band along with Sarah Neufeld, who is the Arcade’s violinist. Before I knew the relationship with Arcade Fire I saw them and immediately thought of Arcade. An amazing live band indeed. I really hope to see this band grow far.

Bell Orchestre
Another band related to Richard and Sarah.

CLARK the band
Bassist, Tim Kingsbury plays for this band as well.

Les Jongleurs de la Mandragore
If ya wanna get really dirty with Arcade Fire then you might wanna listen to Regine’s medieval times group.