most of the words & photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

They played for over 3.5 hours before the sun set on LCD Soundsystem in a cascade of white balloons dropping from the Madison Square Garden ceiling in NYC Saturday night. I wished they played even longer. Everyone I talked to agreed.

But James Murphy and co. gave everything at Madison Square Garden last night (4/2). And the sold-out arena crowd gave in return. For two months - through the initial on-line ticket debacle, the addition of four T5 shows to make up for it, constant hype, and lots of guessing at what guests might turn up (sadly there was no Daft Punk) - it all made this final act in the drama, The Long Goodbye, even more of an event.

People camped on line several hours early to get a coveted spot up front on the floor and most of the crowd adhered to the black and white dress code. Those who didn't stuck out.

From where I was in the middle of the front GA section nobody stopped dancing, or singing along or smiling the entire night. (Save for, like at all four Terminal 5 shows, the couple of awkward, yet brief and deserved intermissions.) Every turn to scan the Garden saw people full-on, in the groove dancing; not just some barely-registered shuffling back and forth. Honestly, everyone who was there should take a bow because they were fantastic. During the first break, video footage was shown of an interviewer talking to fans outside the venue, Aziz Ansari included.

And no, there was no Daft Punk, but there was Arcade Fire singing joyously along on "North American Scum" (the third set's highlight) and an appearance by Reggie Watts who also played with the band at three of the four Terminal 5 shows. The boys choir featuring members of Mr. Dream was there, as were the two female backup singers, and the horn section that included Kelly Pratt and Colin Stetson. Original LCD guitarist Phil Mossman was back and featured a few times in addition to LCD band members
Nancy Whang, Tyler Pope, Pat Mahoney, Matt Thornley, Gavin Russom, and David Scott Stone. Liquid Liquid opened the show like they did at the first two Terminal 5 shows. Shit Robot, who opened the second two T5 shows, again made an appearance during the show. Shit Robot and Juan Maclean, for one song, were alien vocalists in mysterious cardboard-looking spaceships that were set up in seats behind the stage (pictures and video below).

Pitchfork streamed the whole show for those who couldn't be there - you could see the cameras all over the place, including on the shoulders of cameramen walking through the GA crowd. Filmmaker Lance Bangs was seen dancing in the crowd and working backstage on the video of the show, and yes the clouds made it to the two screens that were hanging on the sides of the stage.

LCD started with "Dance Yrself Clean" and "Drunk Girls" followed. The first set was breathtaking and included "Daft Punk is Playing in My House." After an intermission, the band tackled most of 45:33. Watts came out for "Part 2" and Murphy spent most of the middle set off in the background letting the band tackle the instrumentals.

The first encore featured a cathartic and riveting "Someone Great" as well as "Losing My Edge" and "Home." For me that block was the highlight. During "Losing My Edge," the video screens featured images of some of the influential bands mentioned. When I looked up I saw The Sonics.

Their Harry Nilsson cover of "Jump Into The Fire" was part of the final 3-song encore. Murphy, his voice sounding a bit hoarse, paused between songs to thank everyone who came out and everyone who helped put the show together. "Three songs left," "two songs left," and then after saying "this is our last song", and a bit more banter including an admission to his family who was in the audience that he was wearing his dad's watch (as you can hear in the video below), he led the band into their final (ever) number, "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down." It started slow with Murphy even laughing and pausing 'for dramatic effect' but by the end of the raucous outro the crowd was in a frenzy, only for the band to launch back in and cue the balloon drop. As the crowd was preoccupied with balloons of various size descending upon them, the entire band slipped off stage, almost completely unnoticed, and into history.

VIDEO OF THE ENTIRE SHOW (from the stream), and lots more pictures and the full setlist, below...

Continue reading "LCD Soundsystem played their final show @ MSG w/ Liquid Liquid (and Arcade Fire) -- pics, setlist, video of entire show"

Here are some pictures I took of LCD Soundsystem at Bowery Ballroom in 2005...

LCD Soundsystem play their final show at Madision Square Garden tonight...

today in NYC
* Ken Filiano @ The Stone
* Gabrielle Coen @ The Stone
* Nellie McKay @ Feinstein's
* Graham Parker @ City Winery
* Toubab Krewe, Lynx @ Maxwell's
* Misstallica, Body Talk @ Union Hall
* First Saturday @ Brooklyn Museum
* Cut Copy, Holy Ghost! @ Terminal 5
* Oneida Japan Benefit @ The Ocropolis
* Peter Murphy, Livan @ Highline Ballroom
* Starfucker, Casiokids @ Bowery Ballroom
* Exitmusic, Zaza, Ancient Sky @ Union Pool
* Prisoners of 2nd Avenue @ Bowery Electric
* The Stepkids, Emil & Friends @ Littlefield
* Amos Lee, The Secret Sisters @ Irving Plaza
* Gold Panda, Bikini, Dam Mantle @ Glasslands
* Assembly Of Dust, Moonalice @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Pierre De Gaillande's Bad Reputation @ Zebulon
* WU LYF, Total Slacker, Wise Blood @ Shea Stadium
* Meta & the Cornerstones, City Billies @ 92YTribeca
* Obits, Sundelles, Tijuana Panthers @ The Bell House
* LCD Soundsystem, Liquid Liquid @ Madison Square Garden
* Big Troubles, Lame Drivers, Harpoon Forever @ Cake Shop
* Boat, MiniBoone, Landlady, Creeping Weeds @ The Rock Shop
* Forgetters, Little Victory, Ruffian Arms @ Public Assembly
* Black Breath, Ken Mode, Clean Teeth @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Eddie Spaghetti of The Supersuckers, Uncle Leon & The Alibis @ Europa
* Project Jenny, Project Jan, Indian Rebound, Poor But Sexy @ 285 Kent Ave
* Daedelus, Samiyam, Shlohmo, Cubic Zirconia @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Horns of Happiness, Conversion Party, Bells, Gordon Withers @ Bruar Falls
* JEFF the Brotherhood, Heavy Cream, Hell Beach, Xray Eyeballs, Colleen Green @ Death By Audio
* Food Stamps, Goferboy, Hellacopter City, The Sweet Lowdown, Charlie & The Sheens @ Silent Barn
* Thomas Giles (Between The Buried And Me), Stephen Brodsky (Cave In), Braveyoung @ Santos Party House
* Luke Wesley, Casey Shea Band, Black Bunny, Great Elk, Rachel Brown, Niall Connolly @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Gunter Muller, Taylor Deupree, Norbert Moslang, Lizzi Bougatsos (Gang Gang Dance), Jason Kahn, Richard Kamerman (Unsound Festival) @ Issue Project Room

After their last Cake Shop party got shut down, QxBxRx have moved the party to Public Assembly where Forgetters will again try to play a set.

If you aren't going to be at LCD Soundsystem's final show at Madison Square Garden tonight, you can always watch it live online.

Rebecca Black did not actually get signed to Universal, but she is apparently hosting some aspect of the Kid's Choice Awards today and Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and surprise guests did cover "Friday" on Late Night last night. Watch that below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday? (LCD Soundsystem's final show)"

As previously mentioned, tonight's final LCD Soundsystem show will be streamed online exclusively on Pitchfork (who at the moment don't seem to have a clear location as to where - their own ad for it just links to their news story about it which doesn't say exactly where the video is.).

If you're going to the show, opener Liquid Liquid goes on at 8. There will be clouds.

photos by Andrew St. Clair, words by Bill Pearis

You could see glo-sticks being passed back among the crowd as LCD Soundsystem began their third straight night at Terminal 5, the hump day of their week-long career wind-down extravaganza. The moment set-opener "Dance Yourself Clean" goes from quiet to loud, someone near the stage flung about a hundred of those glo-sticks into the air, making for the first of many memorable moments of the night.

Despite having done this three-hour tour-de-force the last two nights, James Murphy and crew didn't show any signs of flagging. The eight or so musicians on stage -- not including female backup singers, male chorus and occasional horn sections -- seemed to be having a blast. As did the crowd that pretty much went mental for the entire first hour of the set, which included "Too Much Love" for the first time this week.

High point for me was watching the crowd react to "All My Friends." I was looking down from the third floor balcony and it was amazing to see so many people connect so deeply to it. That will definitely be one of my top concert moments of the year. I stayed against the balcony for the whole show (my first time at T5 if you can believe it) which I think probably made things more tolerable for me.

The bulked up band really made a difference, especially that male choir which includes members of the band Mr. Dream -- "Get Innocuous" and "Sound of Silver" sounded much fuller because of them. It was also nice to have Hot Chip's Al Doyle back, his presence was missed on last year's This Is Happening tour. He kept his shirt on tonight, but played guitar, vibes, timbales and even trumpet at one point.

The mid-section, an attempt to recreate the Nike-commissioned "45:33" was a bit hit or miss. Some parts were fleshed-out into more song-like structure, but without much singing it seemed like a good opportunity for the crowd (and band) to catch its breath.

For the third act, LCD Soundsystem got the crowd moving again with "Us Vs. Them" and kept the crowd bouncing through "North American Scum" and "You Wanted a Hit." With the pingpong bass of "Tribulations" the crowd surfing began, and then it turned into a pit for the thrashy "Movement."

There was also crowd favorite "Yeah" (it always kind of destroys), the throbbing "Someone Great," and LCD signature tune (and first single) "Losing My Edge" which seemed to take on extra meaning (and some new lyrics) in the hours before their retirement. Al Doyle also threw the keyboard hook from "Da Funk" into it at one point -- probably the closest we'll get to Daft Punk playing in LCD's house this week. (Though who knows what surprises are in store at MSG?) Also a treat: the band also threw in their cover of Harry Nilsson's "Jump into the Fire" in the encore, plopped in-between "All I Want" and "New York I Love You." Another highlight.

I don't know if he was saving his voice for singing, but James Murphy was rather unchatty between songs. Which is okay, the music spoke loud enough.

Shit Robot opened the show, and their set included LCD's Nancy Whang on vocals for "Take Em Up". They also later joined LCD on stage. Special guest Colin Stetson joined LCD on horns. Original LCD guitarist Phil Mossman played on some songs.

Only two more nights left for LCD's existence: tonight at Terminal 5 and then the big blowout Saturday at MSG. More pictures and video, and last night's setlist, after the jump.

Continue reading "LCD Soundsystem played Terminal 5 w/ opener Shit Robot, covered Harry Nilsson (night 3 pics, video, setlist)"

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM FINAL SHOW

We are assembling footage of clouds and sky shot from airplane windows, if you have some please email cloudfootage@gmail.com with a youtube or vimeo link for us to watch. If we are interested in your footage we will contact you to coordinate getting Quicktime files from you, and we will need you to sign a release form allowing us to project and reproduce the footage. Footage is to be projected at the final LCD Soundsystem show at Madison Square Garden on Saturday April 2nd 2011 so we need to receive it Thursday and Friday to be able to prepare it.

Thank you,
Lance Bangs
cloudfootage@gmail.com

photos by Vincent Cornelli

"What can I say? I just witnessed one of the greatest bands of my generation going out at the top of their game. And it was a tremendous show: three hours long, 24 songs, career-spanning, players and instruments all in white, a choir singing from the balcony above stage right, a wall of white lights strobing on at all the appropriate times. Terminal 5 is maybe the size of the Showbox SoDo if the Showbox SoDo had two balcony levels, and the place was sold-out packed. It was ecstatic, it was bittersweet, it was a wake, not a funeral.

After opening with "Dance Yourself Clean" (that beat drop!), LCD founder James Murphy thanked openers Liquid Liquid (who were awesome) and then told the crowd, as he often does, that he knows people want to film and take pictures, and he's fine with that, but maybe put down the phone, he advised, "maybe just be here."" [Seattle Weekly]

Continue reading "LCD Soundsystem & Liquid Liquid played Terminal 5 again (night 2 pics, videos & setlists)"

After an opening 8pm set by Liquid Liquid, LCD Soundsystem played for over 3 hours, starting at 9:10pm, at Terminal 5 in NYC last night (3/28). The show, their first of their last, was split into three sets. Each set had a short break in between, though James Murphy didn't play much of a frontman role during the 2nd set so in a way that one seemed like a much longer break for him. In fact, the jammy 2nd set (update: which included 45:33 stuff) started with a guest appearance by Reggie Watts on vocals. Speaking of vocals, Nancy Whang's singing was often showcased throughout the night, in addition to her keyboard/synth skills. Pat Mahoney got a great workout behind the kit (as did multi-instrumentalist Al Doyle at times). The night ended with a one song "NY I Love You" encore. The entire setlist is below.

I got there around 8:45 (missed Liquid Liquid unfortunately) and there was no line to get in. It was packed, but thanks to the set changes I was able to get pretty close when people moved around during the first break. If I hadn't been watching from the right side of the room when the show started, I might not have realized that there was a boys chorus stationed above the stage on the balcony (left side, stage right). James did acknowledge them though, and at least once during the show the shirtless and shredding Al Doyle (who often seemed to play the bandleader role) looked up at them with a very approving "you just nailed that part" grin. Based on LCD's March 10th tweet, we know the chorus haven't been playing with the band for that long (despite the plan to have them from the start).

James narrated the show. He told us about the set breaks ahead of time, apologized for stuff, introduced all band members multiple times. Said stuff like, "we learned a lot of stuff for this show and have more band members around to make sure we can play it all" and "we haven't played that one in 6 years... or was it 5 years," and "this is like a finale and a reunion for us since we're so old." It'll be interesting to see if they change the setlist at all night to night (they played the same set every night last time they played multiple nights at Terminal 5).

The show is long and great, full of hits and rarities, and you'll want to dance, so if you're going to the second show tonight (3/28), or the third tomorrow, or the fourth the day after that, or LCD's final show ever at MSG on Saturday, try to go with some energy.

A few more pictures, including shots of the merch and setlist, below...

Continue reading "LCD Soundsystem played Terminal 5 (night 1 pics & setlist)"

It's been less than two months since we first found out that LCD Soundsystem's final show would happen on April 2nd at Madison Square Garden (maybe you got a ticket today, or maybe you're planning on watching it from home), and it was six days after that that they announced four more shows happening at Terminal 5, the first of which happens tonight (3/28) (If you're going, hopefully you don't get caught in a long line). It's been an eventful six weeks in LCD land full of ticket frustrations and controversies and comments. And now that the shows are here, it should be even more eventful, but hopefully related to the awesomeness coming from the stage...

Anyway, I know this is super last minute, but I was just offered a pair of tickets to giveaway to tonight's show. Act quick. Details on how to win below...

Continue reading "LCD Soundsystem kicking off their final run of shows in NYC TONIGHT (WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS)"

LCD Soundsystem at MHoW (more by Tim Griffin)

"we've moved some staging stuff and removed some big cameras, etc...
boring, i know, but the end result is:
madison square gardens limited amount of tickets to go onsale!!!!!!!!

on monday 28th march at 10.00am there will be about 1500 tickets getting released for madison square garden show on april 2nd . - some are ga pit., some regular seats, some cheaper restricted view.

for these last remaining tickets, there are a few new rules (yes-closing the barn doors after the horses have run out):

tickets will go onsale via ticketmaster at 10.00am on monday 28th..

there is a two ticket per person limit.

these new tickets will not be hard tickets. the only way to enter the garden on the 2nd with these new tickets will be to show i.d. MATCHING THE CARD DETAILS USED TO PURCHASE at will call and then immediately enter the venue." - [LCD Soundsystem]

If you are going to Terminal 5, don't forget to get there early.

People under the disco ball (more by Vincent Cornelli)

A message to LCD ticketholders from LCD Soundsystem...

Continue reading "LCD Soundsystem has a message for ticketholders (like get there early & stuff)"

Earlier this month LCD Soundsystem posted that they had finished their final tour show and were "hunkering down to learn as much as we can for the t5 and msg shows. oh dear." On March 10th they tweeted that they're "looking for a 12 to 16 (or more) part men's chorus to help us with... something... umm... email bgraf@hotmail.com it will rule. HELP!" Hopefully they worked that out by now because the gigs are just around the corner with the first of four Terminal 5 shows happening on Monday, March 28th. The final show goes down Saturday, March 2nd at Madison Square Garden. If you can't be there, well, Pitchfork has announced that they'll be streaming it.

This is also happening:

Continue reading "LCD Soundsystem's MSG show will be webcast, preparty @ Le Bain w/ Shit Robot & Juan Maclean (who DJs tonight too)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

As some pointed out in the comments of the "Cold War Kids/No Age/Baths show moves to Terminal 5" post, "Your original tickets from Radio City will be honored at Terminal 5. For the inconvenience we will put $10 in the pocket of all paid ticket holders at the door at Terminal 5." Also, tickets are back on sale.

Baths just played a bunch of shows at SXSW including the Terrorbird Media Day Party at 501 Studio on Saturday March 19th. He actually played that one just hours after playing a noon set at the BrooklynVegan day party at Barbarella (that Misteur Valaire, !!! and Trail of Dead played right after him.) Pictures from that Terrorbird party are in this post, as is a video the AV Club made of Baths doing a great LCD Soundsystem cover with help from his tourmate Houses who also recently posted a separate tour diary video which is also below with a bunch of tour dates too...

Continue reading "Baths played SXSW, covered LCD Soundsystem, is playing Terminal 5 for $10 less than Radio City (dates, pics, video)"

LCD Soundsystem makes people do wacky things. I know two people who recently flew to Bogota. I know others who are flying into NY to be at Madison Square Garden on April 2nd. That's not that wacky, but then there's this other group of people (pictured dude included) who are raising money to document their cross-country trip to get to the same show (and all the new "friends" they meet along the way). Read and watch more about that, below...

Continue reading "people want to make an "All My Friends" documentary (documenting their trip to LCD Soundsystem's final show)"

Drunk Muppets

LCD Soundsystem are bringing the party to Bogota, Colombia tonight (and Chile on Sunday). Muppets recently rocked out to LCD Soundsystem in Brighton. The results were captured in an "Unofficial DIY Pop Video" by Javier Douglas which you can watch below...

Continue reading "Muppets dance themselves clean to LCD Soundsystem (video)"

Though the Thursday show sold out almost instantly, tickets seemed to be available to the Wednesday, Tuesday and Monday Terminal 5 shows for at least 45 minutes. Also worth noting: Stubhub doesn't list a single ticket and Craigslist and eBay are quiet too,

As you know, tickets for the LCD Terminal 5 Soundystem shows go on sale at 9am. Hopefully all the restrictions mean that everyone who wants a ticket can get one.

As previously mentioned, tickets to the four LCD Soundsystem shows at Terminal 5 go on sale Tuesday, but now we also know the exact time, price, openers, and a lot of special rules. LCD says:

basic bullet points to know:

-monday and tuesday, march 28 & 29 will feature liquid liquid.

-wednesday and thursday, march 30 & 31, will feature shit robot live.

-tickets for all four terminal 5 shows (march 28/29/30/31) will go onsale via ticketmaster at 9.00am on tuesday 22nd.

-there is a two ticket per person limit.

-the cost of a ticket is $40.00. ticketmaster charges will be $6.90 plus $2.05 per order handling fee. (that's the best we could get, apparently)

-(as an attempt to avoid the "secondary market") there will be no hard tickets. the only way to get in to terminal 5 on the nights of the shows will be to show i.d. at will call and then immediately enter the venue.

-we're told that ticketmaster will also sweep the online purchases daily and delete any duplications from potential scalper bots. (please come to the venue early on show nights - the line for entry may be long). if the tickets for the shows don't sell out very quickly, we'll stop the duplicate ticket thing and allow people to buy tickets for multiple nights. (just want to make sure all who want to go get a ticket before "multiples", if that makes any sense).

-oh... and we can't do a walk-up ticket buy at the mercury lounge box office this time (w/o ticketmaster fees) because those are only the hard tickets, which can be sold afterwards. (yes, i asked about putting names on the hard tickets.)

-more important: we're as bored of this ticket stuff as you are, so let's just have fun a few last times, and then get some food! 2 more liquid liquid shows! the new york debut of mr. shit robot live, maybe featuring some guests! loudness and lights! fancy stuff!

Liquid Liquid is also opening the MSG show.

Tickets for the Strokes show at MSG go on AmEx presale at 10am today (2/18).

PREVIOUSLY
* no LCD T5 tix yet, but Strokes presale today
* Strokes MSG show presale, Saturday Night Live, other dates, the new single, album art, Jersey video shoot, NME & more
* The Strokes confirm April 1st Madison Square Garden show
* James Murphy discussed retirement on Colbert (video)
* recapping: LCD Soundsystem's addition of 4 shows, James Murphy's letter, evil scalpers, Colbert Report tonight
* LCD Soundsystem adds 4 Terminal 5 shows
* LCD Soundsystem sell out MSG instantly, crash websites

LCD Soundsystem made their "last TV appearance" last night on Colbert Report. James Murphy discussed his LCD retirement. Videos below...

Continue reading "James Murphy discussed retirement on Colbert (video)"

As you knew 417 comments ago, one less Radiohead album ago, and back before Arcade Fire had a grammy, LCD Soundsystem added four more NYC shows that will take place at Terminal 5 on March 28, 29, 30 and 31. That gives the band one day off before they play their final show on April 2nd at Madison Square Garden - the show that sold out instantly, but that nobody but scalpers seemed to get tickets for. That made many, including James Murphy (see above tweets), very mad, and so the T5 shows were added, and James wrote this letter (which says tickets will be on sale soon)...

Continue reading "recapping: LCD Soundsystem's addition of 4 shows, James Murphy's letter, evil scalpers, Colbert Report tonight"

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Chicha Libre @ Barbes
* Eszter Balint @ Barbes
* Federico Aubele @ Joe's Pub
* The Godfathers @ Santos Party House
* Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen @ Littlefield
* The Syd Straw Heartwreck Show @ Southpaw
* Abe Vigoda (Radio Happy Hour) @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Tony Scherr Trio, Norman Vladimir @ The Living Room
* Theophilus London, PO PO, New Look @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* 3rd Annual Anti V-day Riot Gurrl Cover Band Show @ Death By Audio
* Controlled Bleeding, Syphilitic Lust, Occultation, Skull @ Lit Lounge
* Vieux Farka Toure, Ramble Tamble, Invisible Familiars, Very Fresh @ Zebulon
* Jim Campilongo Electric Trio, Stephan Crump, Tony Mason @ The Living Room
* Kyp Malone Valentine's Day Party w/ Chica Vas, Hiro Kone, Grey Gersten @ Glasslands
* Genghis Barbie, Stumblebum Brass Band, Raya Brass Band, Frank London @ Mercury Lounge

The Spiderman musical is having a rough time. In related news, the dude who plays Spiderman is in the band Carney who are playing Bowery Ballroom tonight. Acutally all of Carney play in the musical that was written by U2 who Carney are opening for, along with Arcade Fire, at their show in New Brunswick, Canada on July 30, 2011.

Arcade Fire won "Album of the Year" at the Grammys.

LCD Soundsystem are on the Colbert Report tonight.

A video of Little Scream playing "The Heron and The Fox", below...

Video of Cee-Lo's Grammy performance below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday? (Valentine's Day)"

"march 28, 29, 30 and 31 at terminal 5 in NYC. details to follow."

"wow i really dont think iever seen a msg show sell out so fast" - Bao Nguyen

"I've also NEVER seen TM so sluggish! - Klaus Kinski

"Is it true Mubarak stepped down just for a sec to try to go on Ticketmaster to get tickets to see @lcdsoundsystem at MSG?" - Aziz Ansari

James Murphy @ ACL 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

After a presale that sold out instantly (people waiting on line for hours in the freezing cold outside Mercury Lounge included), LCD Soundsystem just sold out their final show at Madison Square Garden in an instant (give or take a few seconds of processing time). Promoter Bowery Presents' website also crashed, presumably from all the people trying to figure out what to do, when tickets went on sale at 11am (see screenshot above). Congrats James.

Tickets go on regular sale for the final LCD Soundsystem show at 11am. Presales happened Wednesday.

While you're waiting check out the new Planningtorock video that DFA Records just released....

Continue reading "LCD Soundsysem tickets, new Planningtorock video"