All I Need

About four months ago, I sat at my computer, strategically double clicking a Ticketmaster link for Radiohead tickets. Radiohead is the greatest band of the past twenty years, and everybody knows it. So getting your hands on tickets is no small feat, but it happened. And for the past four months, every time something I cared about was pulled out from under me, my heart left feeling like egg on bibimbap, I reminded myself that there was an event to look forward to: Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl.

The Hollywood Bowl has a grandeur that is unrivaled by any venue I’ve ever seen. Basically, it’s a colossal oasis of trees planted in Hollywood, with a picnic area for pre-show wine and baguette-brie-turkey sandwiches. The sound was so good that I honestly really did hear lyrics I never even knew existed. Thom Yorke danced around on stage in bright red pants, playing every song I wanted to hear that night. Set list here.

And even the haters, those who claim that Radiohead has become too big, had to admit that the show was just right. But I like for a rock band to be bigger than life, despite the high cost of tickets. Plus, the audience was so appreciative, since we all knew that it's survival of the fittest on who gets to see a Radiohead show. Every seat was filled, nobody talked during the slow songs, and we were all on the same page, trying to wrap our brains around how incredible it is to know that Radiohead lives on the same planet that we do. It was that good.