Radiohead Kicks Off US Tour @ Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm, FL With Lights, Tibetan Flags, Songs

Radiohead played their first US show last night in West Palm Beach, Florida. We were Cinco de Mayoing in NYC so we missed it, but Rolling Stone was there. Let's hope they carpooled. Via RockDaily:

Radiohead clearly reveled in their surroundings, as Thom Yorke strolled onstage wearing a Don Johnson-styled white blazer while wryly crooning "All I Need" like a Miami lounge lizard to open last night's show, the first on the band's U.S. tour for In Rainbows. The impersonation only made the music seem more menacing; not just a simmering come-on, but a song about obsession and grotesquerie. Those sleights of hand are what Radiohead shows are all about: The jacket came off promptly, video screens crackled monstrously to life, and Radiohead ripped into a snarling take on "Bodysnatchers." Just as Yorke had stripped himself back down to a non-descript rocker, his band had suddenly mutated into a hulking arena monster.

Radiohead must have made some serious cash with In Rainbows, and by the looks of it they've spent a good part of that money on an incredible new live set-up. To deafening applause, the quintet took the stage enclosed in a massive cave of long, drape-like lighting fixtures, which hung down vertically from the stage's ceiling programmed for a variety of dazzling effects. Behind them, an ultra-wide movie screen blared thermal video of each member from multiple angles. Both the amplifiers and Yorke's piano were emblazoned with Tibetan flags.

You can see that flashy stage show in the video clips we tracked down.

"The Gloaming and "The National Anthem" are the best quality. We'll admit the rest are rather shitty, but at least this way you can hear that they sounded awesome, and get a feel for the lights they'll be toting along when they come to your town.

"The Gloaming"

"The National Anthem"

"There, There"

"Optimistic"

"Just"