LCD Soundsystem, Making Time, Last Night by JONATHAN VALANIA
BY PELLE GUNTHER If Daft Punk met an indie rocker and had one beautiful electro indie child, LCD Soundsystem would most definitely be that child. The concert was held in the Philadelphia Naval Yard at the Naval Cruise Terminal. It was like something out of a raver’s dream, giant warehouse, full of DJ’s, dance music, lights and people, most of whom were tripping a little, even if it was just from the sheer noise and wild light shows. Coming off their very successful new release, This Is Happening, the band had a full repertoire of incredible songs to choose from when creating their extremely solid set list. Finishing off the night for the Making Time DJ’s, LCD Soundsystem laid down one irresistible groove after another, most songs winding their ways towards rousing choruses, which the sea of sweaty hipsters did not hesitate to scream along to as they raved their alternative little hearts out.
LCD Soundsystem started the night with a tune I’d never heard, which I quickly, and unconsciously started singing along to. They followed it up with a song from the new CD called “Drunk Girls,” which could have come straight out of an English pub, and had the whole venue screaming the simple chorus “Drunk Girls! Drunk Girls! Drunk Girls!” (which seemed somewhat fitting for most of the ladies in attendance.) The highlight of my night definitely came when I heard the unmistakably simple piano part to “All My Friends,” which enticed me to fight through the sweaty masses until I found myself 10 feet back from James Murphy as he played my undisputed favorite tune of right now. The band finished up the night with “Losing My Edge” off their first album, which was fantastically edgy to say the least, followed by their newest big tune, “Home.”
While the singer and guitarists were most certainly rockers, the rest of the band had a mechanical air to them, one of the drummers dancing like a tin soldier as he played a funky beat on the woodblocks while the female member of the band stood amidst an ocean of electronic devices, adding electric drums and I’m sure all of the noises that were completely unidentifiable. That being said my favorite part about this band was definitely the drums. The two drum sets, one more complete than the other, had as many as three bodies on them at one time, making very complex and irresistible beats that kept the crowd dancing through the night. If their songs alone were not enough to get your rave juice flowing, the lighting crew did their magic, with a massive disco ball, smoke machines, and more lights than could possibly be healthy.
James Murphy was definitely not losing his edge as his song indicates, playing a very solid two hour set, with very little crowd banter and no slowing down. Next time they come to town, I definitely won’t be able to resist a relapse into that funky, fun, electro-rocking groove.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pelle Gunther is a recent graduate of Kimberton Waldorf High School.