LCD Soundsystem
Terminal 5
New York City, NY
3/28/11
So this was the opening night of the much-hyped “farewell” concert series for LCD Soundsystem. After the villainous triple threat of corporate America, scalpers, and free market capitalism hijacked the ticket sale for the Madison Square Garden show, snatching up all the tickets and exorbitantly marking them up for resale on legal pirate scalper outpost StubHub, James Murphy booked 4 shows at Terminal 5 to amend for the miscalculation. Even this did little to tame the public’s appetite to see LCD Soundsystem one last time, as the T5 shows sold out immediately, but this time with scalper-proof distribution requiring ticket pick-up at 6:30 the day of the show.
I’ve never been big on LCD Soundsystem. I’ve had “Sound of Silver” on my iPod for years, but rarely listened to it. Despite being considered one of the best albums of 2007 (at least that’s what Wikipedia told me), the album just never clicked for me. But after witnessing them live, I have to say that I finally get it. The show was nothing short of a spectacle. There had to be close to 20 people performing both on and off stage including a chorus. I counted at least 13 keyboards in addition to a battery of percussion and the usual guitar/bass/drums setup. The 3 sets ran for about an hour each and consisted of some obvious choices and some deep cuts for the hardcore fans in the house, ending well after midnight. I was pretty exhausted at the end and not looking forward to work early the next morning.
But still, a 3 hour show is pretty fucking cool. I’d like to see more bands with extensive catalogues would do these kinds of special shows. I gotta give it up to Mr. Murphy for giving his musical project the proper sendoff that any true fan would want. At least until 2017, when the reunion shows are announced.
Set 2
1. 45:33 Part One
2. 45:33 Part Two
3. Sound of Silver
4. 45:33 Part Four
5. 45:33 Part Five
6. 45:33 Part Six
7. Freak Out
8. Starry Eyes
Download: LCD Soundsystem – New York – 3/28/11 (Set 2) – 57 MB
Sample: Freak Out (Live)
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