I saw the same line-up here in Austin. I, as well as most of the audience at Emo's was skeptical of Final Fantasy (terrible name) when he got up there solo, but I thought he was fantastic.

The Arcade Fire needs no praise. Brilliant. In the top 5 of best shows I've seen.

Oh... and they did a cover of the Talking Heads' "This Must Be the Place," with a steel drum that was utterly satisfying.

I found your site by mistake, and all I know is what your 'stats' say, but I admire your move and your pub game on Monday night. I moved to New Orleans from Chicago for no reason at all. And now I am the arts & entertainment listings editor at an alternative weekly. I came down here on the train with a suitcase because I'm romantic and was tired of everything. I too saw the Arcade Fire, from a balcony. I felt I was watching a classical concert of the gypsy punks who live down here. AF has an affinity for New Orleans' music. Nice to run into you. Hope everbody's treating you well.

I'm going to have to dispute your analysis of Final Fantasy. The looping pedal is in no way novel, and is, in fact, the amateur’s weapon of choice these days. Any bloke with $75 bucks can suddenly sound like 15 blokes play simultaneously with this little contraption. Clearly you did not spend enough time in college listening to bland young men alone on coffee shop stages with only a guitar and the cursed looper pedal to make their musical wonderment, or you would have seen straight through this novice gimmick. As for his lyrics, he might not be telling you your body is a wonderland, but it’s really not too far off. His terrain is the all-too-well traversed arena of singer/songwriter.

As far as the Arcade Fire, all I have to say is, thank you, Canada.