Week in Rock: Inaugural Edition
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<strong>Arcade Fire Thank Obama Staff</strong><p>One of the most identifiable Canadian bands of the last decade is now trying every which way to remind people that the core of the band is actually American born. The renewing spirit of the Obama inauguration brought them to Washington this week to play<a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/01/arcade_fire_jay.html"> a very special private show</a>, alongside some rapper named Jay-Z, for Obama's staff. The band that once famously sang that they "Don't wanna live in America no more" seem to have gotten over all that this week, sporting "Yes We Did" headbands and playing songs off both albums, as well as a cover of the Boss's <em>Born in the USA</em>. The new president also briefly spoke to show his appreciation to those who worked to get him elected. For a video of the Springsteen cover, which includes a wonderful off-key chorus sing-a-long, <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/23/watch-arcade-fires-born-in-the-usa-cover-from-the-obama-staff-ball/">go here</a>.</p>
<strong>Cursive get Smashed at Union Hall</strong><p>It was a unusually busy Sunday night at Union Hall, in part due to the long holiday weekend, but also because <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cursive">Cursive</a> was headlining the venue downstairs. The Omaha band's singer, Tim Kasher, was in a particularly festive mood that night celebrating his recent engagement to a longtime girlfriend (who at one point joined him on stage to shout out the chorus to a song). As many Cursive shows go down, there was a lot of yelling and boozy banter, with Kasher rambling in his signature style throughout. At one point a fan inexplicably shouted an expletive at the band, who was rewarded by getting pulled up on stage to be verbally abused by the whiskey soaked front man. But all in good fun. The end of the night featured Kasher jumping into the crowd with a mic stand to sing "Sierra" as a grand finale. A rare treat to see the band in a venue this small.</p>