Radiohead play 36 different songs across two nights at All Points West

Radiohead headlined the Friday and Saturday of the first All Points West festival at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, and changed so much between the two nights that 36 different songs were played. On Friday, during “You and Whose Army?”, the big screen split into 16 panels, each filled with Thom Yorke's eyes, which Lauren Salazar of Vulture calls the standout moment.

The screens mixed colour shots of the band with black-and-white close-ups, catching Phil Selway counting a song in and Colin Greenwood nodding along. Green lasers rained down across the stage for “The Gloaming”, which was played both nights. On Friday Yorke dedicated “Pyramid Song” to a hectic city and those moments you try to find some peace¹, and he danced through “Paranoid Android” and “Cymbal Rush”, from his solo album The Eraser. Between songs he thanked the crowd, and at least once told them cool beans¹.

The sets shared only 14 songs. Saturday opened with “Reckoner” and reached further back, for “The Bends”, “Fake Plastic Trees” and “Exit Music (for a Film)”. “Airbag”, in the first encore, was dedicated to Kings of Leon, who had played before Radiohead that night, and “Idioteque” closed the weekend.

The booking, announced in February, put Radiohead at an American summer festival when they had been expected to tour the US on their own. All Points West is new this year, from AEG Live and Goldenvoice, the promoters behind Coachella, with three stages in the park. The band had been here before, for two nights of their own in August 2001 (16 and 17 August).

David M. Goldstein of Cokemachineglow put Friday's crowd at about 20,000. After the last song the crowd walked back to the Manhattan ferries under an orange half-moon.

Setlists, Liberty State Park, 8 and 9 August 2008 (encores from 18 and 23 on both nights)