Radiohead's U.S. Tour Kickoff at American Airlines Arena in Miami, February 27

By Matt Preira Tue., Feb. 28 2012 at 7:30 AM

Photo by Sayre Berman

Radiohead's Thom Yorke at the American Airlines Arena.

See the full 28-photo Radiohead at the American Airlines Arena slideshow.

Radiohead
American Airlines Arena
Monday, February 27, 2012

Better Than: Doing whatever one does on Spotify, with Radiohead.

Leading up to Radiohead's kickoff concert for their first U.S. tour in four years, we explored a theory that Thom Yorke and company may be the last great mainstream rock band.

However, we also couldn't help wondering if Radiohead is still making music as relevant or exciting as that which made them an institution.

Photo by Sayre Berman

But last night's earnestly excited and giddy American Airlines Arena audience had less lofty matters on its mind.

We got the sense that many of the thousands at the arena were seeing their favorite band for the first time or maybe the 50th. Most stood at attention for the entirety of the set, cheering wildly, even for the songs to which nobody knew the lyrics.

Photo by Sayre Berman

The lighting design was futuristic and sleek with a number of small video screens that repositioned between songs.

Sometimes the visuals were abstract -- throbbing colors expressionistically linked to the music. Other times, the screens displayed the band in completely decentralized, every-angle arena-vision.

Photo by Sayre Berman

The set drew mostly from Radiohead's post-Kid A era with obligatory peppering of select singles from the back catalog.

It also featured a number of big debuts, including two new songs ("Identikit" and "Cut a Hole") and the live premiere of a song ("Meeting in the Aisle") dating back to the band's 1998 I Might Be Wrong EP. (See the complete setlist from last night's concert and check out video of Radiohead's new tracks.)

Photo by Sayre Berman

While not extraordinarily prolific, Yorke and company has a lot of material. And some fans we spoke with weren't entirely satisfied, two of whom felt that Radiohead's 2008 performance in West Palm Beach featured a stronger selection of the bands back catalog.

Nevertheless, the audience was more than patient through seven of eight King of Limbs songs. The only KOL fan favorite: "Lotus Flower," which got a distinctly louder response than anything else from the record, as did Thom Yorke's signature prancing.

Location Info

Venue

Map

American Airlines Arena

601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL

Category: Music

1 user reviews	Write A Review
Save to foursquare

Tags:

American Airlines Arena, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Florida, Jonny Greenwood, Miami, Phil Selway, Radiohead, The King of Limbs, Thom Yorke

We Recommend

Loungefly123

Matt,

THIS is how you review Radiohead: http://www.rollingstone.com/mu...

MELODYSIAC.COM

Take it personally or don't - I've written a lot of reviews for New Times and this is an embarrassing representation of one of the year's hugest tour openers. WTF?

MELODYSIAC.COM

PS - Where was Ms. Castillo on this one? :/

GabrielRuzin

Anyone who expects Radiohead to play 'Creep' at a live show has just outed themselves as knowing nothing about Radiohead. Hearing that song in concert is about as rare as it gets.

Grace Stainback

I thought the concert was incredible. I also don't think anybody had to "wait patiently" through the KOL songs... I was a bit apprehensive that the songs on this album wouldn't translate as well into concert as past Radiohead albums, and that the show would be too mellow.. but they transformed these songs into more rhythmic, concert-ready jams. radiohead rules.

CMN

Is this supposed to be a review of the show?

Footleder

If one had really listened to King of Limbs numerous times and was able to become attached like all their other CDs , they would have thought this concert was one of there best.FANTASTIC in every way!!!

foxybears

isn't a known fact that they'll never play creep? I feel like I read that somewhere... long ago.. anyways amazing show.

00gaia

@ Rio De janeiro (in Rainbows tour) they closed the concert with Creep, which was quite unexpected but nice anyway...

Arnot

The photos are just as lackluster as this review.

lalalala

They played an AMAZING show. They didn't play 'creep'? Oh, no! Thats tragic, hahah! Gimme a break. With all of the albums they've put out, its a bit difficult I imagine to squeeze in some old 'hit' songs....plus this is the KING OF LIMBS tour. Of course they're going to play more new songs. I was much happy with the setlist. We got to hear 2 new songs and an old song they had never played live apparently....sooo whats to complain about? 2hrs of radiohead songs and people still arent satisfied? clearly not much of a radiohead fan if you're only going to their concert in hopes to hear CREEP. Thats like me going to NIN concert to hope they play 'closer'....which yea, i'm sorry but that song is great but just like creep to me it is played out and it wouldn't be my first choice to hear live if i could pick an old song. i was nowhere near the front of the stage and man did i feel the energy of this band playing....i havent missed a radiohead show and i wont ever. by far one of the best bands to see live....i've seen many bands play live and not a lot of them play many songs or give you 2 encores....RADIOHEAD FTW. :)

This a really lackluster review.

Ana Vasquez

The people that didn't like the show are the people desperate for creep which they never play. Also they've mentioned that this for this tour they'd play more of kings of limbs than greatest hits. Another solid showing,

Cdb1081

What about "High & Dry", "No surprises", "Optimistic", "Paranoid android", "Let down", "Fake plastic trees".... Just to mention a few. That concert was a hoax!