Here are some awful cell phone shots I took during last night’s LCD Soundsystem show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, which of course was their last show ever. The balloons dropped right at the end. I was in the floor-level seats right behind the GA pit for most of the show.
Song of the Day Number 123
LCD Soundsystem - “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”
RIP LCD
In Case You Missed It of the Day: Last night, LCD Soundsystem concluded their short but storied contribution to music with a comprehensive 230-minute set at Madison Square Garden.
Jeremy Larson described the final show thus: “[T]his concert should be documented as an exploration how one band compiled every good sound from every band that came before them and turned it into a four hour sound orgasm.”
Notable guest appearances include Reggie Watts @ 1:12 and Arcade Fire @ 2:04. Check the video’s description for a complete set list.
So, I was here last night. I’m too tired / my throat is too sick to do anything but drink tea and lie down, but it was worth it. Pretty much the best show I’ve ever seen.
Song of the Day Number 122
LCD Soundsystem - “I Can Change”
I had a difficult relationship with LCD Soundsystem’s This Is Happening upon its release. For whatever reasons, possibly of the personal nature, I disliked the album and just couldn’t get into it. I tricked myself into thinking that it was one of those albums that wasn’t really good or consistent but that happened to contain some of the best songs of the year. In some sense, I still hold this to be true, but now that those personal matters don’t affect me anymore, I’m finding a lot to love about This Is Happening. While in the past I had focused on the album’s bookends, the album’s much-lauded single “I Can Change” finally clicked with me a while ago. This song is honestly one of the best songs in the history of LCD Soundsystem. In light of the show at Madison Square Garden tonight, which I will be attending, I’m getting really excited about LCD Soundsystem in a way that I really haven’t ever been, at least since the first time I listened to “All My Friends”.
I’m taking a train down to Stamford, CT in a short while, and from there I’ll be driving into the city. So excited!
VIDEO: The Strokes & Elvis Costello - “Taken For a Fool” (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, 4.1.11)
In what must have been an awesome surprise for the cooler Strokes fans at their sold-out show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden last night, the legendary power pop originator Elvis Costello played an unannounced opening set. According to Stereogum, Costello’s short set consisted of three fantastic early-career hits — “Pump It Up”, “Radio Radio” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love And Understanding?”. Afterwards, when the Strokes were well into their headlining set, Costello reappeared. Apparently to Casablancas’ surprise, he came back onstage guitar in hand to sing the hook to Angles’ “Taken For a Fool”, an appropriate song, given the day, which if you ask me takes quite a lot from Mr. Costello’s songbook himself. Costello pulls it off effortlessly, and looks pretty awesome doing it. Seeing him onstage playing such a rocking tune makes me wish he would go back to making music like that again, but I guess I should just be glad that he’s making good music at all, regardless of genre. His recent Americana-influenced albums have actually been surprisingly good.
