LCD Soundsystem @ the El Rey, 6.10.07

LCD Soundsystem's show at the beautifully restored and renovated El Rey was not the band's first show of the tour (which is always really exciting to see!), but it was close ... aside from a performance in Philadelphia and S.F., LCD Soundsystem was just starting the tour ball rolling!

And what a tour this one will be!
The band -- which comprised of ... seven, maybe eight people including James Murphy -- was phenomenally tight: it was almost as though they'd all be assembled from the studio musician circuit. One of the guitarists/bassist looked as though he'd come from the Hold Steady's backup band, the keyboardist/guitarist/dude in the back appeared to be a Scissor Sister's member (not really, though!), and I've no idea where the hell the drummer came from. He only wore boxers on stage and looked as though he'd just been pulled off the road as a hitchhiker (a super hip one at that, though!)
Appearance aside, everyone played perfectly. The ensemble was tighter than I would have ever imagined and recreated classic LCD Soundsystem tracks with the utmost vigor and energy.

Some of the tunes were like the hyperactive twins of the album versions ... "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House," for example, was sped up a little too much for my tastes, but damn did they rock it hard, hard, hard! up there!
There was a strong and steady buildup throughout the set ... every song was danicer and more robust than the previous ones, and I've never seen a crowd react in such an awesome way before. Not only was the front of the venue pumping their fists and chanting along with the songs, but the whole of the crowd, too! Amazing.

"All Of My Friends" momentarily calmed things down, but by the end, the group was back on track to getting everyone to sweat and jump around as much as is humanly possible. Everything added up and added up and gained more and more steam until ... "Yeah" which ended the read set in one hell of a bang. LA cheered so friggin' hard, though, that Murphy & co. came back out from backstage, and put up with the exhaustion from three more songs including -- much to my great, great pleasure -- their cover of Joy Division's "No Love Lost." I tell ya, LCD Soundsystem is truly a great band; a seminal group that will never be forgotten or left behind in the dregs of rock history. This show set that all in stone.

Check out the picture here!

LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House (live)