Arcade Fire headlined the 2020 Kanaval Ball in New Orleans on Friday night, marking their first public performance in nearly two years.
Launched in 2018 by Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire and Preservation Hall’s Ben Jaffe, the Kanaval Ball celebrates Haitian and New Orleans’ shared Carnival traditions. Proceeds from the event benefit the Preservation Hall Foundation’s educational endeavors in New Orleans as well as Arcade Fire’s KANPE Foundation and its support of cultural and social initiatives in Haiti.
Arcade Fire headlined Friday night’s Kanaval Ball with an 11-song set kicking off with a collaborative performance of “Everything Now” featuring Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Arcade Fire went on to play songs like “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)”, “Rebellion (Lies)”, “Haiti”, and “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” before concluding the evening with “Wake Up”, once again joined by Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Watch fan-captured footage and see the full setlist below.
Despite Arcade Fire’s live comeback on Friday night, don’t expect the band to hit the road anytime soon. In an interview with Nola.com, Butler said, “We’re not planning to tour for the foreseeable future.”
“Everyone was off the road, so we could do it,” Butler explained of their Kanaval Ball performance. “It’s a way to put our money where our mouth is. Playing music is what we have to give.”
Setlist:
Everything Now (with Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
Haïti
Here Comes the Night Time
Electric Blue
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Reflektor
Afterlife
Creature Comfort
Wake Up (with Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
Arcade Fire Play First Show in Two Years at New Orleans’ Kanaval Ball: Video + Setlist
Alex Young
