Arcade Fire proudly put on a remarkable show for the thousands of people that crowded the Quartier des spectacles on Thursday night. The band’s passion for their beloved hometown shone through in their performance, and it was clear how happy they were to pay tribute to the people and city that have supported them over the years.

Starting the set with the appropriately titled “Ready to Start,” it was immediately clear how exciting the show was going to be. After expressing their pleasure in performing the show—”Our hearts are very full,” Butler said—they proceeded to play an old favourite, “Keep the Car Running.” The whole set was a flawless mix of songs from their three albums. There was a common thread connecting each of the songs, the order of which seemed to be meticulously planned out to illustrate a narrative, especially coupled with black and white strobing images playing on screens behind the band. The mood of the audience changed with every song, from swaying calmly to the slightly subdued “Modern Man,” to dancing ferociously to “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out),” before which Butler encouraged the polite and well-behaved crowd to let go of its inhibitions.

The band played for over an hour before coming back for an encore of “Rebellion (Lies),” which ended with Will Butler repeatedly smashing his floor tom on the stage, and “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” where the band launched LED beach balls into the crowd. The band’s music lends itself to anthemic group sing-a-longs and it’s difficult for even the most hardened cynic not to be moved by the cathartic chorus of “Wake Up.” At once a thank you and a celebration, it was a show not likely to be forgotten.