Arcade Fire’s Will Butler knows a thing or two about volatile bands. Cue ‘Stereophonic’

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As the band’s singer lit a cigarette, smoke filled the theater – the same happened when some members shared marijuana. Though “Stereophonic,” currently showing at the Hollywood Pantages until January 2nd, isn’t a true story, it feels remarkably personal and real.

The show feels genuine, largely because of the high quality of the songs performed by the band within the show. These songs were written by Will Butler, a talented musician who used to play with the Grammy-winning band Arcade Fire.

“Stereophonic” has received more Tony Award nominations than any other play. The story takes place over one year and follows a rock band trying to record their second album while their first album is at the top of the charts. As the pressure mounts to create another hit, the band begins to fall apart. The show’s popularity echoes the success of VH1’s “Behind the Music,” which often explored similar stories of rock bands facing difficulties.

“We aimed to create something authentic,” explained Butler in an interview backstage at Amoeba Music, just before performing with the cast. “This is essentially a three-hour glimpse into the process of making an album.”

Being in a band almost inevitably leads to conflict. (I experienced this firsthand, playing in an indie band for ten years before it fell apart dramatically – and I know at least a dozen other bands with similar stories.) Win Butler of Arcade Fire understands this well, both from his own experience and because the band itself started after a member quit mid-performance following a fight with Win’s brother, who then joined the group.

Will Butler departed from Arcade Fire at the close of 2021, explaining that it was a natural progression. He shared on social media that both he and the band had evolved significantly over nearly two decades, and it felt like the right time to pursue new opportunities.

As a total cinema fan, I was really struck by how ‘Stereophonic’ felt so authentic. It’s clear the director, Butler, really gets how bands work – the tensions, the energy – and he brought that understanding to the film. Plus, he captured this amazing sense of how fleeting and delicate the process of actually making a record can be, like you’re watching something precious disappear even as it’s being created.

According to Butler, recording in the booth is an intensely creative experience. He describes entering the booth as losing yourself in the process, and leaving feeling like a normal person again.

Review

‘Stereophonic’ at the Pantages can’t hit Broadway’s high notes

The Hollywood Pantages is hosting the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Stereophonic,’ the Tony Award-winning play by David Adjmi. The play features original music by Will Butler and offers a look at the intense, dramatic process of a 1970s rock band trying to record an album as they’re about to become hugely famous.

Okay, so “Stereophonic” really shows the messy side of being in a band. Honestly, there’s more drama and fighting in the studio than there is actual recording! It felt super realistic, though. You see relationships start and fall apart in a big way, and yeah, there’s a lot of drug use – it’s 1976, so what do you expect? I really felt for the engineer, though. He was just trying to do his job, but the band was so wrapped up in their own stuff and constantly tearing each other down that he finally just couldn’t take it anymore.

People aren’t naturally designed to create art when they’re under intense pressure, but they often do. When a truly great song is being recorded, something special happens: the musicians connect and become one, briefly unlocking the band’s full potential. This song wouldn’t be possible with just one person – it emerges from the group’s shared, spontaneous creativity.

A breakthrough moment arrives on the album “Stereophonic” after a lot of difficulty and false starts, when the band performs a song with such beauty that the audience breaks into enthusiastic applause. This shared experience is what keeps the band going despite their frequent arguments—and why people came to see them in the first place.

Butler explained that the show’s music needs to be impactful because much of the story relies on dialogue and characters simply being together. When the music does play, it should immediately clarify the bond between them.

In 2014, musician Butler connected with playwright David Adjmi, who shared his concept for a new show. Butler was interested, but he needed the completed script before he could seriously begin composing the music. He explained that the songs had to seamlessly integrate with the play, like pieces of a puzzle. Sometimes this meant writing entire songs, and other times it simply required composing a short, repeating musical phrase.

Butler explained that once a show is cast, the music takes on a new life. Each cast brings its own unique talents and challenges, much like a band. No two rhythm sections are alike – you can instantly recognize the distinctive drumming of someone like John Bonham or Ringo Starr.

The play “Stereophonic” is cleverly self-aware. It features a character who produces a band that’s essentially producing itself, both on stage and in the recording studio. As part of the show, the band actually records a song live, and the audience hears it played back immediately from the sound booth. Each performance of that song is unique, with subtle and significant variations – much like life itself.

Performing at Amoeba Music is a very different experience for the cast than performing at the Pantages Theatre. Unlike their stage show, where they’re confident and supported by costumes and a set, the cast members – except for the drummer – aren’t trained musicians, and they seem a bit exposed and unsure of themselves when playing in the store.

This is completely different from Butler, who performs with the energy and confidence of a true rock star. The rest of the cast will perform similarly later that evening, but right now, Butler is demonstrating exactly how to captivate an audience.

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2025-12-17 14:01