Aaaaahhh Radiohead

Since my sophomore year at high school, dating my first girlfriend, when Creep came out I have been waiting to catch a live show.

A few years later I met a friend Rusty who showed me there were other songs surrounding that hit. Pablo Honey, and The Bends cemented my focus and sharpened my ear.... At first I thought, hmmm these songs are brilliant, then I began to notice that some of your songs, 'Black Star', 'Anyone Can Play Guitar', and 'Bones' to name a few, were as beautiful as the ones that the radio stations had caught on to.

Then OK Computer came out... and I realized that the rest of the world saw your brilliance as clearly as I had. I heard your imports and watched your video footage from that tour and wanted even more to see a show. During that era I began to notice how corrupting commercial success was and started feeling comfortable listening to no-name bands, instead of keeping up with the radio stations. The album was just too good, and I just can't fault you for your vision.

Amnesiac, Kid A... and all of the sudden I started forcing myself to listen to a song a few times before determining whether or not I liked it. I started to notice that when I have an impression of where the end is, the rough beginning of a song is tolerable, and the journey through the song is entirely worth it. At that time I also started listening heavily to Dylan, Waites and Elvis Costello knowing that it would pay off in the end, and it did.

Hail to the Thief.
Wow.
I think it was in the documentary "Meeting People is Easy" somewhere that a silly anchorperson labeled your band as "Punk Floyd" which is lame on many levels. It is slightly true though in it's lameness, what was good about Pink Floyd was that their music was so well written that it has a half life which proceeds in my memory the band itself, which has lasted even into my generation. Where there is a connection is that songs such as 'Paranoid Android', and 'Fake Plastic Trees' still evolve in my imagination while the new songs only serve to add to my appreciation of your collected work. Though the world is a bewildering mess, you continue to take my concerns and spin them into a song I haven't heard.

Next you did the unthinkable. You kicked the record company out and started giving cd's away only asking for a donation. I still haven't heard the whole album and am confused as to how I should get it, but the gesture remains and the cojones it took to attempt this unthinkable effort can only be described by a word larger than courageous.

Flash to last night...

It was my friend Rusty's 32nd birthday, and another friend Guy bought a group of us tickets to see you (finally). It had been raining since we got in the car, and all the way to Nissan Pavilion. We sloshed down 66 in bumper to bumper traffic, and once we got off the highway we were detoured about 20 times to avoid flooded roads. While in the car my friend and I played scrabble on his cell phone, and listened to baseball, the whole time knowing that we were missing the show, and wondering how much (if any) we would see.

Finally we were parked at about 9:30, and by about 10:00 we were finally watching you. In the pouring rain and only partially under the pavilion roof I couldn't help but bob my head. I couldn't help but wonder how the lights were playing around on the fiber optic(?) poles you had on the stage, and couldn't understand why other than simply because you are worthy of my attention, that you would put so much effort into your light show. Soaked with rain in 50degree weather I found myself enthralled even though I was still complaining about the conditions. Thank you for the distraction.

I have learned another thing about my life of musical appreciation from you. I am no longer capable of going through so much to see a live show. I am just too old to fight the conditions to have a big stadium music experience. Sitting in a parking lot without moving for 2 hours just can't happen on a Sunday, or really any night. On so many levels, none of which I am blaming you for, it isn't worth it.

Blame it on the black star, blame it on the falling sky...

Sincerely,
Peter Brannegan, a big fan.


Posted on Radiohead.com by the band...

Rained on in Washington again

To everyone who made it, and put up with the torrents on the lawn, and came early to catch the Liars and our show, thank you so much for braving the deluge. I hope you heard what you came for, the music and lights diverting you from the wet. We got out of there around three am, and the pic shows Jonny waiting in the loading bay whilst the water streams across the tarmac. We've had floods at Bull Creek, lightning at the RFK stadium, so there must be some kind of Biblical fix between us and DC. Frogs next time?