Photo Gallery and Recap: Radiohead at United Center

Brassneck | July 9, 2018

Earlier this year, Radiohead fans became ecstatic when seemingly without warning, the Oxfordshire six-piece announced a North American tour in support of their 2016 release, A Moon Shaped Pool. As arguably one of the finest live acts currently performing, the band has mostly relegated themselves to festival appearances in the hopes of minimizing the number of days they spend on the road. The fact that the entirety of these newly announced shows will also occur at indoor arenas, all but passing as intimate venues, is also notable.

This past weekend the band kicked off its 16-date tour with the first of two performances at Chicago’s United Center. With the conceivable exception of lead singer Thom Yorke brain-cramping the lyrics to a section of “Decks Dark” (slowly, humorously muttering – in the tune of course – “I can’t remember the fuckin’ words”), the band emerged fully formed. The setlist proved to be career-spanning and included fan favorites “Fake Plastic Trees’” “Idioteque,” and “Paranoid Android.” The band also balanced things out with deep catalog choices that included “Let Down” and their first performance of “Blow Out” in close to a decade. Considering all this occurred during a tour opener, it boggles the mind about what the rest of the dates will entail.

-Curt Baran