I was pretty blown away by this write-up in the Guardian by Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire about the band’s first time in Haiti playing a concert.
This is my third time here, but our first as a band. As we unload the equipment I can’t stop noticing how they really pulled out all the stops to welcome us. On the dusty soccer field the town has built a wooden stage, with another crafted and charming “Bienvenue à Cange, Régine et Win, Arcade et Fire” banner hanging above it. Knowing how few resources there are in the Central Plateau, it is becoming clear that this evening is a really big deal. We are happy to see the sound system we rented from Port-au-Prince has arrived in time. It is probably the biggest sound system the town has ever seen. Or seen at all. This is exciting.
Having seen Arcade Fire at Jazz Fest this year and given their special affinity to the island of Haiti (where Régine is from), I loved seeing how well this seemed to go down in the eyes of the band. Really touching story.
