Toronto – While Tuesday night’s show at the Kool Haus wasn’t officially the last LCD Soundsystem show in Toronto, reports have claimed that the latest album, This is Happening will be LCD Soundsystem’s last album. I remain skeptical at this notion, as the band seemed to be getting better with each album and This is Happening is easily one of the best and most highly reviewed albums of the year. However, there is a slight uncertainty as to when the band will tour next, so it is with that idea that I went to the Kool Haus on a hot and steamy Tuesday night to watch these electro punk legends.
To sum up the show, I will quote a line in the LCD Soundsystem song All My Friends that goes:
And to tell the truth / Oh, this could be the last time
So here we go / Like a sales force into the night
If this is really the last album, and this tour is one of the last ones, then LCD Soundsystem went out with a force. Playing to a packed house at the Kool Haus, James Murphy, Nancy Whang, Pat Mahoney and co. absolutely rocked it last night, going from one epic electro punk rock disco tune to another. I’ve always enjoyed electronic acts that are played with a live band, whoever, upon listening to LCD Soundsystem live, I have concluded that they are more of a rock band then an electro act. The songs are driven usually by the steady drumming of Pat Mahoney and some slick guitar work by whoever the guitarist was.
The show started promptly at 9:30, and the crowd was quickly whipped into a mosh frenzy with 1-2 punch of the Blur-esque song Drunk Girls and the lead track off Sound of Silver, Get Innocuous!. The 90 minute set surprisingly featured only a few new tracks (Drunk Girls, All I want, I can Change) and many classic tracks, much to the delight of the crowd. A nice touch happened halfway through the set, when James Murphy dedicated the classic track All My Friends to the late Will Munro, who passed away on Friday. Speaking of Murphy, he had a nice chilled vibe on stage. Keeping it casual in a white v-neck shirt, the scruffy founder of DFA Records delivered the songs in his usual half-talk/half singing style, occasionally stopping in between songs to talk to the crowd, telling them to be considerate of the females in the crowd while moshing, and also telling them to put their phones away.
All in all the show was really good. The set closer New York I Love You was followed by the chorus (Alica Key’s part) from Jay-z’s Empire State of Mind, giving the show a nice calm ending. I keep on waiting someone to make a song that’s an ode to Toronto. Seriously, as much as I love New York, I’d like to see our city get some props. Jay Z did New York with Empire State of Mind, now Katy Perry’s done it with California Gurls, where is Toronto’s version?
Us vs Them
Drunk Girls
Get Innocuous!
Yr City’s a Sucker
Pow Pow
Daft Punk is Playing at My House
All I Want
All My Friends
I Can Change
Tribulations
Movement
Yeah
Someone Great
Losing My Edge
New York I Love You
Setlist provided by Songkick
LCD Soundsystem – Yr City’s a Sucker by GardenGrassCrap