I thought I knew what to expect out of Radiohead on Wednesday night.

After all, I had seen the band play the same venue in 2003. Message boards let me know what to expect from the setlist. And every self-respecting music blog around had praised the epic light show.

But no review prepared me for 50-foot rope ladders, extra songs or a suspiciously large pair of women's undergarments.

Let's just say I have a new contender for my Top 5 concert list:

Radiohead - May 14, 2008 at Verizon Wireless Ampitheater in Maryland Heights, Mo. (or Riverport in St. Louis, for those who have become annoyed with all of the corporate sponsorship)

Before I get to the show, I have to fill you in about the stage setup. The band wanted all the crowd's focus to be front and center, so the four house video boards were shut off during the show. Radiohead more than made up for it with a huge screen that spanned the entire width of the back wall of the stage. I can't describe everything else, but I have to tell about the 12-row cube of glass tube lights. The tubes were filled with some sort of fiber-optic(?) LED(?) or 23rd century alien lighting technology. You'll just have to take my word for it. My jaw nearly drooped when I saw a roadie climb a 50-foot rope ladder with his tools in his mouth to pull the lights to the front of the stage before the show. With the right make-up, he would've fit right in with any "Pirates of the Carribbean" extra.

But you're not reading this for the lights, so on to the show. The band came out with two tracks from its new album "In Rainbows," then got the first big cheer of the night with the third song when the first chords of "Airbag" shot straight out of the "OK Computer" days. Thom Yorke and Co. went directly into "15 Step" next, then finally acknowledged the crowd four songs into the show...not that anyone minded a steady stream of music. Thom's greeting was, well, interesting.

"Hello. It's smells like donuts up here. Do you smell donuts?"

He then said something that sounded like "death to donut makers," but I might be wrong.

The next stretch brought out "Kid A" for the first time this tour; a visually-impressive version of "The Gloaming" (the light tubes "rained" during the line "It should be raining"); an intimate "You And Whose Army?" and the frenetic "Idioteque."

For me, the one down moment of the night came next when the band attempted a stripped-down acoustic version of "Faust Arp." It simply sounded hollow without the layers of string arrangements that make it a two-minute gem on the new album.

The band ended the first set with a strong two-song volley from the new album. First came "Bangers + Mash," an uptempo guitar-based tune from the not-available-in-stores second disc (download that now if possible). "Bodysnatchers" closed out the opening act with all kinds of spastic Thom Yorke action. Radiohead said goodnite and quickly jogged off the stage.

Now, I knew from reading recent setlists that the band had not one, but two encores left. The first would have five songs and the next would have two. Not bad for a show that had already clocked in at nearly 90 minutes.

The band returned to a roar and kicked off the encore with a second dip into the "OK Computer" well: "Exit Music (For A Film)." One song later, I realized that the band hadn't played a single song off of its sophomore album "The Bends." For long-time Radiohead fans, that's close to a tragedy. Then "My Iron Lung" came to the rescue with its first appearance on the 2008 tour (this is the one song that made all of the message board fans jealous Thursday morning). I should probably try to keep my objectivity, but I can't. That was the ONE song I had to hear because they didn't play it in 2003 when I saw them. I just hope no one got me on camera. The encore closed with "Fake Plastic Trees" and the older fans finally felt like they had been served.

Off the stage the band went, and back it came again. Here's where it gets a little funny. Thom did the requisite thank yous when the band plugged in for the 2nd encore. But right as he was about to start a song, a rather large wad of pink panties landed at his feet. Thom handled this in a way that only he could.

"And next I'd like to thank whatever person for whatever object this is (holds it up). It's pink and it's got little flowers on it. (pause) It sure as hell ain't pants. At least I think it's not pants. (longer pause) No, it's too big to be pants. I refuse."

After the crowd's laughter subsided, the band jumped into "Pyramid Song," then "House Of Cards." Nothing against the last song, the teenage girls behind me thought it was "OMG the best song EVAR," but I was really hoping for a better closer. Every show on the 2008 tour had ended with a two-song 2nd encore, so I was gonna have to deal with it. The song ended, and I got ready to leave.

Wait a minute...what's this? Why is the guitar tech handing Thom an acoustic? That can only mean one thing...

The older fans around me started singing before Thom hit the first note of "Paranoid Android." The lights did things that made the aging hippie in front of me say "Whoa man, this is, like, better than Pink Floyd brah!" It was the best closer to a show that I've seen, most likely because I thought the show was over one song earlier.

The message boards raged Thursday morning with posts from fans of earlier tour dates. "Why did St. Louis get an extra song!? That's so unfair! I'm jealous."

Maybe you're jealous, too. But hey, there's still time to see them at Lollapalooza.

Setlist:

1. All I Need

2. Jigsaw Falling Into Place

3. Airbag

4. 15 Step

5. Nude

6. Kid A

7. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

8. The Gloaming

9. You And Whose Army?

10. Idioteque

11. Faust Arp

12. Videotape

13. Everything In Its Right Place

14. Reckoner

15. Optimistic

16. Bangers + Mash

17. Bodysnatchers

Encore 1

18. Exit Music (For A Film)

19. Myxomatosis

20. My Iron Lung

21. There There

22. Fake Plastic Trees

Encore 2

23. Pyramid Song

24. House Of Cards

25. Paranoid Android