While I enjoyed several of the early bands of this weekend's inaugural All Points West festival (Underworld and The Roots in particular), they were all just glorified openers for Radiohead, who played unopposed at the far end of the festival grounds to close both Friday and Saturday nights. As noted previously, my expectations for them were almost impossibly high.

They were exceeded.

Of the two shows, Friday was for me the more enjoyable, both because I was able to get closer to the stage (and its shimmering light show), and because lead singer Thom Yorke was in fresh voice. (Anyone that thought Yorke could deliver two flawless 2 1/2 hour performances on consecutive nights was kidding themselves.) It was a completely engrossing experience from start to finish, with several astonishing moments that left me wide-eyed and gasping, the way I was in Amsterdam for much of Saint Francois d'Assise. (Guitarist Jonny Greenwood, a Messiaen fan, would no doubt appreciate the comparison.) But Saturday was perhaps the more adventurous night, with the band offering up some radical re-interpretations of music from The Bends and OK Computer, now more than a decade old.

After a weekend like this, it's tempting to declare Radiohead the greatest band in the world, much as I was ready to when I first saw them here seven years ago. But, I'll just say I'm glad I was there. Twice.

Set Lists (courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan):

Friday August 8
1. 15 Step
2. There There
3. Morning Bell
4. All I Need
5. Lucky
6. Nude
7. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
8. The Gloaming
9. Optimistic
10. Videotape
11. Reckoner
12. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
13. You And Whose Army
14. Idioteque
15. Climbing Up The Walls
16. Bodysnatchers
17. How to Disappear Completely

Encore 1
18. House of Cards
19. Pyramid Song
20. Paranoid Android
21. Dollars & Cents
22. Street Spirit

Encore 2
23. Cymbal Rush
24. Just
25. Everything In Its Right Place

Saturday August 9
01. Reckoner
02. 15 Step
03. The National Anthem
04. Kid A
05. All I Need
06. Nude
07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
08. Where I End And You Begin
09. The Gloaming
10. Faust Arp
11. No Surprises
12. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
13. The Bends
14. Bangers and Mash
15. Everything In Its Right Place
16. Exit Music (For A Film)
17. Bodysnatchers

Encore 1
18. Pyramid Song
19. Videotape
20. Airbag
21. Fake Plastic Trees
22. There There

Encore 2
23. House of Cards
24. Planet Telex
25. Idioteque