LCD Soundsystem Wows Crowd at Pitchfork Music Festival

Posted on Jul 18th 2010 12:30PM by Garin Pirnia
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Daniel Boczarksi, Redferns / Getty Images

One of the most anticipated shows at the 2010 Pitchfork Music Festival at Chicago's Union Park Saturday was LCD Soundsystem, especially since frontman James Murphy recently decided to retire the band when this year's tour ends. For the first time all day, the crowd of over 15,000 felt cool as the sun dipped over the horizon. A surprising number of small children were in attendance, which helped prove the multi-generational pull of the band.

LCD opened with 'Us v Them' from 'Sound of Silver,' which generated thumping beats, beach balls being bouncing into the clear night, a cowbell clanging, a mirrorball spinning and a general disco inferno. "Thanks for sticking around and watching us," Murphy told the crowd, then proceeded into 'Drunk Girls' from latest record 'This is Happening.' The spoken vocals on 'Pow Pow' elicited a call-and-response from the audience who shouted back, "There's advantages to both" followed by Murphy's added lyric, "a 12-minute song is the same s--- over and over."

LCD gave 'Daft Punk is Playing at My House' a funkier sheen, but when the galloping, steady rhythms of anthemic 'All My Friends' began, the crowd immediately roared, going as far as starting a small conga line. Never before had the lyric, "This could be the last time" resonated with fans as much at it did at that moment. Funk and disco beats from most of the songs charged up the crowd, but on 'Tribulations' and 'Movement,' the band loudly railed on their guitars and headed into punk terrain.

Near the end of LCD's 90-minute set, 'Yeah,' from their first album, bathed the band in nuclear green lights and helped transform the fest into a rave-like atmosphere. Murphy screamed "yeah" from the tops of his lungs and galvanized the audience even more. After the twinkling melodies of 'Someone Great' and 'Losing My Edge' slowed things down for a bit, Murphy told the unruly crowd he had one more song left. "Thanks to the people who work here; they're nice people and have been awesome." Murphy mentioned he'd be playing an after-party at a loft, but he had to repeat the info because no one heard him the first time. LCD closed on love letter ballad 'New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down' where Murphy bellowed two verses of Jay-Z's 'Empire State of Mind,' then ended his epic set without an encore.

Watch LCD Soundsystem perform 'Drunk Girls' at last night's show: