Live: LCD Soundsystem Return to New York City and the Music Hall of Williamsburg

Photo via underwhelmer's photostream

With Karen O decamped for LA, playing foil to Spike's Wild Things, and the Strokes figuring out whether they're still a band or not, James Murphy's LCD Soundsystem have become the best Classic New York Rock game in town. Actually, they're more than that. Based on the evidence of this hastily pulled off appearance (Murphy was continually at pains to call it not proper show, but a public opportunity for the new six-piece on "trying to work out being a band again"), they're also New York's soul, its conscience, and, with Murphy invoking age at every turn, its memory as well. Parental? Sure. But as a counterweight to the ever-present porn of NYC youth fetishism, such knowing, lived-in swagger is comfort to those in the audience who may have been "there" too. (And yes, they played a messy-as-fuck "Losing My Edge"). After all, who better than keyboardist Nancy Whang to tell the bros after a raucous version of "Us v. Them" that if you're dancing, shall we say, aggressively, and there are no women around, "you're doing it incorrectly"?

The set list was made up of songs of civic pride, songs of regret and loss (there was an aborted attempt at eulogy, presumably for late great DFA drummer Jerry Fuchs), full-bodied joyful anthems (fuck, classics), and, with Murphy invoking how he always hated going to shows where a band he liked would do a whole new album he hadn't heard yet, only two new tunes. The band is now stocked with ringers both familiar (welcome back, bass monster Tyler Pope), and new (looking forward to seeing you trip the light fantastic with all those synths, Gavin Russom), and was loud enough to give the Music Hall's soundsystem a shudder. Afterwards, a couple of dudes were selling nitrous on the corner of N. 6th and Wythe.

Set list:

Yr City's A Sucker
Us v Them
Drunk Girls
Losing My Edge
All My Friends
I Can Change
Tribulations
Movement
Yeah

-- "puke" break --

Someone Great
Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
NY, I Love You