Arcade Fire lights up a Chula Vista night

On a cool August night in Chula Vista, Arcade Fire performed to an audience that ranged from children in animal costumes to hip grandparents and every kind of character, weirdo, and geek in between.

Although concertgoers were encouraged to wear costumes or formal attire that were reflective, in keeping with the bands Reflektor theme, the San Diego audience contained a disappointing amount of prom dresses and shiny garb. Throughout the concert as the light would scan the audience, clusters of people would shine like coins in a murky fountain.

Beginning with “Reflektor,” the audience swayed to the song impatient for older material to be played. Playing the rarely performed “Ocean of Noise,” lead singer Win Butler encouraged the audience to slow dance. Fans reached for lovers, friends, and strangers, and romantically swayed as they were serenaded.

Later, when the band performed “Here Comes the Night Time,” the crowd on the lawn went from casually bopping to dancing maniacally as if they were engulfed in a swarm of bees. Finishing with their iconic “Wake Up,” thousands of Arcade Fire fans sang along to the chorus while an overwhelming sense of closeness had strangers linking arms, singing to one another, and enjoying what a shared love of song could inspire.

• Concert: Arcade Fire
• Date: August 5, 2014
• Venue: Sleep Train Ampitheatre
• Seats: Lawn