The Greek was on fire... literally.

The best 21st birthday present could be alcohol and the zoo. But in this case, it was Canadians and... well, alcohol. The Greek Theatre was the place to be May 29 of this year. The Arcade Fire was due to give one of their signature performances, including megaphones, mandolins, french horns and more surprises.

The best part of the concert was getting there. No, it wasn't just the enormous Transformers ad in downtown Los Angeles. It was no traffic, good food (Baja Fresh is good stuff) and a memorable-yet-brief exchange with a bird that flew overhead... think about it.

The opening band nearly ruined the experience. A chick band called Electrelane bashed through several horrifying "songs." It seems that Arcade Fire took pity on some high school dropouts and gave them 45 minutes to make the Canadian group look that much better. If it wasn't for an ice cold drink and a new wallet, I would've cried. The wallet was just cool enough.

Finally, Arcade Fire saves us from the hell we were in. The lights go out in the canopy-covered arena, and a symphony swells in the darkness. The crowd goes wild as close to ten men and women break into a beautifully synchronized rythym. By the end of the show, frontman Win Butler was throwing light pillars into the audience, his brother was beating on anything he could find and screaming choruses through a megaphone into the night sky. Regine Chassagne stumbled drunk around the stage, playing every instrument she came across for two minutes before getting bored and going to the next.

Amidst the chaos, not a beat was missed. One could say the same of Butler's sense of absurdity. While commenting on how "people down here have to wait for Entertainment Weekly to hear current events," he also mentioned the band's sole promise to the Greek's management.

After explaining how the Greek Theatre nearly burned to the ground, Butler proclaimed that he would not "say anything bad like... BURN THIS MOTHER DOWN!"

All in all, The Arcade Fire took a good day and made it the best concert I've attended. If you ever want a guaranteed good time, grab a copy of Funeral and Neon Bible, and go see the Arcade Fire prepared to sing along to some of the most underrated music of our time.