Artist of the Week: Arcade Fire

Oh wasn't it just a few years ago that a little Montreal thing called the Arcade Fire played the Mercury Lounge? Now, or rather next Saturday, they are headlining a mega bill at Randall's Island that really should have been labeled a festival. LCD Soundsystem, Blonde Redhead, and Les Savy Fav could have all easily shared the headline this week but they will get their dues in time. In the meantime, they will help make next Saturday one of the most triumphant days in the short life of the Bowery Presents (joining days such as the White Stripes headlining MSG and the upcoming kickoff of Terminal 5 by the National). But at the end of the night, and the end of the week, the glory will fall into the lap of Arcade Fire, a skillful, intense, compelling collective of musicians that tap the spirit of Talking Heads with a flair for the classical, and the gothic. They are not always perfect, but there is no one else out there quite like them.