Radiohead Plays 'Let Down' For The First Time In Ten Years During MSG Opener

Radiohead hit the Madison Square Garden stage for the first time in 13 years last night, and they showed why their reputation as the best live band in the world precedes them. With endless energy and perfect execution, Radiohead ran through an impressive setlist that showcased material from seven different albums. The audience spent most of the night on the edge of their seats, silently listening to Thom Yorke‘s dream-state vocals while watching master multi-instrumentalist Johnny Greenwood create lush soundscapes that brilliantly filled the large confines of MSG.

The show opened as all other Radiohead shows have in 2016, with the first five songs from this year’s beautiful release, A Moon Shaped Pool. Beginning with “Burn the Witch”, they moved through “Daydreaming”, “Decks Dark”, “Desert Island Disk” and “Ful Stop” with ease, giving the audience a healthy dose of new material to start things off. “Daydreaming” particularly connected with the audience, as the crowd erupted in applause on at least two occasions simply because the song was so beautiful. By the time the band got to “Ful Stop”, the energy was palpable, and Radiohead responded with a wild, freak-out version of the pulsating track. Thom Yorke held a keyboard in his hand and added spooky synth flourishes throughout as the lights strobed to create a wild audio/visual effect.

The true meat of the show, however, began once Radiohead got past the AMSP material. To start things off, Thom Yorke picked up his maracas while Greenwood had a series of analog synthesizers brought to the stage, as the band kicked into high gear with a fast-paced version of The King of Limbs single “Lotus Flower”. The band kept the energy at maximum with “The National Anthem”, which featured its typical sinister bass playing from Colin Greenwood. Next up, “15 Step” made it’s first appearance of 2016, with the In Rainbows track providing the crowd with an opportunity to let loose and dance. “15 Step” was a tour staple of Radiohead’s since 2008, so it was nice to see them bring it back into the rotation at MSG, and the band absolutely nailed the version, using the 5/4 time signature to build tension as Johnny Greenwood added layers of effects.

After building up the energy in the room, Radiohead took things down a notch with three consecutive ballads. OK Computer fan-favorite “No Surprises” was first, with it’s lullaby-esque intro sending the crowd into a frenzy. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief” followed, with the AMSP track perhaps acting as a moment to give the crowd a moment to catch their breath. TKOL track “Separator” kept the chill vibes going and gave Thom Yorke a chance to really showcase his voice.

Radiohead kicked off the final portion of their main set with a mean take on The Bends‘ opening track, “Planet Telex”. Most fans start their Radiohead education with The Bends, so “Planet Telex” is a familiar favorite to almost every fan. The song doesn’t get played that often, only making it into five shows this summer, so the song was certainly well received. “The Numbers” followed, and the acoustic climate-change-focused piece from AMSP brought the house down. The song laments the role humanity has played in changing the world’s climate, so following that song up with the high energy Orwellian rager of “2+2=5” made for a poignant moment.

After the short-but-sweet rocker, Thom Yorke surprisingly switched to his keyboard and started up Kid A‘s “Everything In Its Right Place”. The song usually finds itself in the set-closing or encore slots, so its different placement was a welcome change, giving fans another opportunity to dance as the band worked through this melodic, effects-laden, thumping track. Electronic bass freak-out “Myxomatosis” came next, and the Hail To The Thief track was a true highlight of the night, showing Radiohead at perhaps their angriest and most evil. To bring the main set to a close, Radiohead brought the crowd to it’s feet again for another dance number in “Idioteque”.

Following a brief encore break, Radiohead returned to the stage with their biggest surprise of the night: the first performance of “Let Down” from OK Computer in ten years. The dreamy ballad was the perfect way to kick of the encore, showing their appreciation to the excited audience by busting out a rare tune from their most popular album. “Present Tense” followed, marking the eighth and final song of the night from AMSP, and its Bossa Nova vibe really works well in the live setting. Following a note-perfect take on their classic “Paranoid Android”, Radiohead brought their first encore to a close with two In Rainbows songs: the absolutely gorgeous ballad “Nude” and the high-energy rocker “Bodysnatchers”.

For Radiohead’s traditional second (and final) encore, the band kicked things off with The King Of Limbs‘ opening track, “Bloom”. This track features a lot of layered percussion, and Johnny Greenwood actually had a full drum kit brought out on stage so he could play the song’s jazzy drum loop live. One of Radiohead’s biggest tricks in the live setting is to re-create the production from their albums, so watching Greenwood carefully play the same pattern over and over with different emphasis based on where the band was in the song was truly a treat. It’s easy to focus on Thom Yorke as the “front man” with his unique voice, mischievous energy, and passionate dance moves on stage. However, make no mistake, as Greenwood is just as important to Radiohead’s live show and sound. A guitarist by trade, Greenwood spent most of the night twisting and turning nobs on the electronic musical tools that he keeps in his live arsenal, helping to augment the band’s sound and create the atmospheric soundscapes that they’re known for.

Radiohead finished the show with an epic version of “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” that had the crowd howling the song’s “fade out” refrain into the sky, providing one last opportunity for the band and audience to sing together before bringing the night to a close. The group turned in a truly amazing performance at Madison Square Garden, showcasing the band’s diversity and their beloved catalog. The band really knows how to cater to their audience, mixing live staples, fan-favorites, bust outs, and perfect renditions of their new songs coming together to form a cohesive, fun, and intense show that left fans begging for more. Luckily, Radiohead returns to The Garden tonight for the second and final night of their run!

Check out incredible videos from last night’s Radiohead show at Madison Square Garden, courtesy of YouTube user suprefan.

“Let Down”