Afterlife, oh my god, what an awful word.
September 30, 2013 2:26 PM   Subscribe

After appearing on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live (is that Colin Stetson back there on sax?), Arcade Fire aired a strange but alluring late night special called Here Comes the Night Time, featuring Bono, Michael Cera, James Franco, Ben Stiller, Zac Galifianakis, Bill Hader and a nightclub in Montreal.

The video, which features songs from Arcade Fire's upcoming album Reflektor [previously on MeFi], was directed by Roman Coppola in collaboration with The Creator's Project [previously on Mefi].
posted by Lutoslawski (41 comments total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
Wait this was on TV? Where the hell was I? NBC needs public funding asap.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:31 PM on September 30, 2013


> (is that Colin Stetson back there on sax?)

Probably -- he's a regular member of their touring band.
posted by ardgedee at 2:38 PM on September 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh yeah, it definitely is Stetson. I probably phrased that poorly. And yeah, it was on TV, at 1 am.
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:41 PM on September 30, 2013


That's crayballs.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:43 PM on September 30, 2013


I watched this not knowing anything about Arcade Fire. I have to say their SNL performances kind of put me off, but the special drew me in. It made me feel like I was young and old, living in the past and living in the future. It reminded me of my ex-wife, and why I have a love-hate relationship with NYC. Someone help me understand what the hell happened early Sunday morning...
posted by postel's law at 2:49 PM on September 30, 2013 [4 favorites]


Arcade Fire is a weird band for me. Sonically they can basically do no wrong, visually they can't seem to do anything right. This is no different. I'm even more excited for this new album than I was before (and I was pretty excited) but virtually everything in the video rubs me the wrong way, although I'd be hard pressed to explain why exactly.
posted by mannequito at 2:52 PM on September 30, 2013


I only got 2 out of 3 for New Cast Member or Arcade Fire. I still get Carl Kasell on my answering machine, right?
posted by ckape at 2:54 PM on September 30, 2013 [12 favorites]


That was glorious. Thanks.
posted by srboisvert at 2:55 PM on September 30, 2013


So this aired on NBC after SNL? That's awesome.
posted by roll truck roll at 3:09 PM on September 30, 2013


Anyone else stunned that SNL could only find one female to add to the show's featured players roster alongside a quintet of white dudes?
posted by tonycpsu at 3:13 PM on September 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


For the first time in decades I felt that Night Flight vibe. And this special is why.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 3:25 PM on September 30, 2013 [4 favorites]


Actually, the gender balance (in the regular cast, at least) is now exactly 50-50, which is pretty phenomenal for SNL. I'd say the glaring issue with regard to the newly-hired featured cast is that it's white people as far as the eye can see.
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:28 PM on September 30, 2013 [4 favorites]


Nice to know that all these people are good buddies with one another and will get together and help with each other's burgeoning, little-known projects.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:28 PM on September 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Anyone else stunned that SNL could only find one female to add to the show's featured players roster alongside a quintet of white dudes?

They lost mostly white dudes as well. Lorne sort of made a joke about this during the "Arcade Fire or New Cast Member" game show thing that they did. And they're moving back to a female on the Weekend Update so I think that's okay. I'd like more diversity generally, but they've been getting there in other non-obvious ways like having an out lesbian female cast member.

I missed the special, glad to see it made it online so I can watch it while I'm more awake.
posted by jessamyn at 3:29 PM on September 30, 2013


Anyone else stunned that SNL could only find one female to add to the show's featured players roster alongside a quintet of white dudes?

The show's demographic skews that way.
posted by Renoroc at 3:42 PM on September 30, 2013


Whoa, a million likes for Senor Cardgage's Night Flight reference. Way back when, long before the Intertubes and dinosaurs ruled the swamps, this was my only exposure to music videos.

This video is pretty neat. Uneven and strange, but neat!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 3:49 PM on September 30, 2013


Did this air on NBC? I can find no evidence that it did.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:59 PM on September 30, 2013


Yeah it did. I caught the beginning of it. ColdChef was talking about it on Twitter.
posted by jessamyn at 4:00 PM on September 30, 2013


Arcade Fire is a weird band for me. Sonically they can basically do no wrong, visually they can't seem to do anything right.

I have ongoing issues with Win Butler's hair.
posted by mr_roboto at 4:15 PM on September 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


I skipped through the Arcade Fire parts. Michael Cera continues to surprise.
posted by headnsouth at 4:22 PM on September 30, 2013


Can't say I endorse Arcade Fire's descent into cocaine disco. Sprawl II was a great song but this takes it too far. So not buying the new album.
posted by Ber at 4:50 PM on September 30, 2013


I want to see more of Knight on the Rim.
posted by jamincan at 5:04 PM on September 30, 2013


tonycpsu: "Anyone else stunned that SNL could only find one female to add to the show's featured players roster alongside a quintet of white dudes"

Counterpoint- Kenan Thompson (who is hilarious every second he's on-screen) has now assumed the "Elder Statesman" mantle of the cast.

Sys Rq: "Did this air on NBC? I can find no evidence that it did."

The very end of the SNL recording on my DVR caught the first few seconds of this, so I say yes.

Ber: "So not buying the new album."

We all know you're Bittorrenting it anyway.
posted by mkultra at 5:46 PM on September 30, 2013


I quite enjoyed it, but then, I love everything Arcade Fire does, and will follow them anywhere on faith. Every listening reveals something new to me, and the new album looks to escalate that richness.

While watching this on Saturday, I kept asking myself if Arcade Fire could *be* any more Montreal. Only at the end did it hit me that yes, they could -- they need more open booze.
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:46 PM on September 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


Am I the only person who DVR'd this? Hell yes it was on TV.
posted by GuyZero at 5:50 PM on September 30, 2013


mkultra: " Counterpoint- Kenan Thompson (who is hilarious every second he's on-screen) has now assumed the "Elder Statesman" mantle of the cast."

I think Seth Myers beats Kenan by a season or two. And, as much as I loves me some Kenan, the fact that he's second on the depth chart for the role of "brown female" behind the Persian Nasim Pedrad is just ridiculous.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:51 PM on September 30, 2013


I revoke the word 'Fire' from Arcade Fire. Their new music just does not have any, and the fieryness of these guys was the whole point when they started. If I want to watch someone tread water I'll watch synchronized swimming.
posted by TheRedArmy at 5:53 PM on September 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


I kept asking myself if Arcade Fire could *be* any more Montreal.

They could have Bonhomme on stage at all times, although that might make them more Quebec City.
posted by GuyZero at 6:01 PM on September 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


Can't say I endorse Arcade Fire's descent into cocaine disco.

My working theory is that the song Reflektor is a love story set inside of Bowie's Fame. In that light, the coke disco makes sense, and Bowie's participation anoints it as True Art, going beyond the limits of the original (perhaps now trite) song.

But -- early days. Just an initial theory. Much to explore. I wouldn't dismiss any of it just yet.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:06 PM on September 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Eeeeh..

They could have Bonhomme on stage at all times, although that might make them more Quebec City.

That would make them 100% Quebec City. Youpi is pretty much the only mascot they could have on stage if they wanted to do "more Montreal".

Seriously, if you're going to have Bonhomme on stage, you might as well start saying "[pɔto]" and "/ba.lEn/" and start listening to Radio X.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 6:11 PM on September 30, 2013


Also: I would watch the bejeebus out of that Aziz Ansari Diff'rent Strokes-esque sitcom, as long as there is no special guest appearance by Gordon Jump.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:20 PM on September 30, 2013


> I kept asking myself if Arcade Fire could *be* any more Montreal.

Bottles of spruce beer. Damn that stuff.
posted by ardgedee at 6:21 PM on September 30, 2013


Seriously, a Mountie right off the top? I hope that was meant to be ironical.
posted by dry white toast at 7:05 PM on September 30, 2013


Did this air on NBC? I can find no evidence that it did.

I think that local affiliates have opt-out rights after SNL, so YMMV.

I'm still more Godspeed You! Damn Punctuation when it comes to my Montréal music.
posted by holgate at 7:44 PM on September 30, 2013


Cocaine disco my god have none of you people ever heard of the Talking Heads?
posted by mr_roboto at 8:44 PM on September 30, 2013 [8 favorites]


All I know is that in my post-migraine haze watching SNL tonight I kept exclaiming to my husband "why is she in a Buggle box?! What is going ON?"

I was a little loopy.

He didn't know what I meant by Buggle box, so I had to pull up the video...you know which one. Why was Arcade Fire-lady in a box? So confused. So, so confused. I think my migraine-brain made it all up.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 9:07 PM on September 30, 2013


Let's not forget Owen Pallett is in the Here Comes The Night Time video on violin!!!

This video makes me so very very happy.
posted by Theta States at 6:50 AM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


I thought it was very nice of Arcade Fire to make a new Scissor Sisters album. I just wish they were better at it.
posted by lumpenprole at 5:09 PM on October 1, 2013


They could have Bonhomme on stage at all times, although that might make them more Quebec City.

That would make them 100% Quebec City.


ORLY?
posted by Sys Rq at 7:09 PM on October 1, 2013


I can't believe nobody has commented on the parody of the ISS hookups U2 was doing during their 360 tour. Hilarious, really.
posted by hippybear at 10:41 PM on October 19, 2013


Arcade Fire has put the whole album up to stream!
posted by jason_steakums at 7:53 PM on October 24, 2013


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