jesus, where do i start?
last night we went to see shut up and play the hits. i spent most of the time leading up to the show (much like i did last year) freaking out with anxiety/dread/excitement. i could NOT wait for it to start, but also wanted it to never start because as soon as it begins, you know it has to end…
all of the songs played were perfect, and yet not enough. never enough. the actual show had 29 songs. shut up and play the hits has excerpts from 12 (“Dance Yrself Clean,” “Movement,” “All My Friends,” “Us V. Them,” “45:33” excerpt, “Sound of Silver,” “Losing My Edge,” “North American Scum,” “Yeah,” “Someone Great,” “Jump Into the Fire,” and “New York I Love You”)…never enough!
dance yrself clean: it starts innocuously enough. but right when the hook breaks in and the full band starts going, the crowd goes wild. you kind of see some of it in the movie, but nothing compares to actually being there. i remember that moment, when i was so happy so excited so overwhelmed by the fact that we were there, and yet…and yet…nervous? nervous and sad and kind of upset that this would be the very last time that LCD soundsystem just riled up a crowd (that i got to be a part of) and started rocking the night away. it was the LAST beginning. beginning of the end. and the perfect way to start the night.
drunk girls: this song is great, but i feel i don’t love it enough. or don’t love it the way i should? i never actually seek it out (even though the video is great and disturbing). but it’s such a catchy song, it’s funny and live it’s just a masterpiece. but i always think ‘oh, i don’t love that song, not really.’ it’s wrong, i was wrong. i totally do. i do. by this point, most of the anxiety/sadness is gone and it’s just joyous rock. still the early moments of the show, it’s still a party.
and then matthew thornley and gavin russom and gunner bjork are introduced…and then?
i can change: dance with me until i feel alright…i feel like everyone ELSE doesn’t love this song enough, or doesn’t love it the right way. this song is great. best follow up to the dance yrself clean/drunk girls opener, really. love is a murderer, love is a murderer…
and then, tyler pope! clap for him! (we did) and then it’s
time to get away: between this and tired (later), james murphy acts as if they are “lesser known” songs that people will not be as familiar with or not like as much or whatever bullshit, but if you think about it lcd soundsystem wasn’t even around that long. only three full studio albums (though many more remixes and singles and such), but with that small a discography how could you not know and love every song? seriously? to think i used to pity you, to think i used to pity you, it’s true!
get innocuous: this song is largely responsible for a lot of running and sweating and just going fucking crazy at the gym. really, almost every lcd soundsystem song is perfect for a gym mix. especially if you’re running. some work for weightlifting, too, but most, less so. at this point in the show, the band is still in party mode. and it’s pre-nancy whang costume change. i just really love the base line of this song, and i love the beat when it’s live. it’s fuller somehow. richer. by this point in the show i’m pretty much sure it’s positive that i will be doing nothing but dancing. and that’s ok. also, james murphy playing the fuck out of some bongos!!! what more could you ask for?
daft punk is playing at my house: is the fucking PERFECT follow-up to get innocuous. there’s another perfect pairing in the show later on (with my favorite fucking song ever) but this is a really good match. it’s like get innocuous is the primer for losing your god damned mind. and it’s glorious. this is the first “real big” lcd soundsystem song i knew, it was like, THE SINGLE for the longest time, but it holds up the test of time. because i still totally love it, and i still lose my mind every time i see (saw) it live and it’s fucking a blast to watch, it’s a blast to dance to, and it’s the fucking best.
now meeting phil mossman, the original lcd guitar player. when james murphy introduces people it’s a little bit awkward but totally endearing, fyi.
too much love: to be honest, i had kind of forgot of this song. but the lights dimmed/went bluecast and then the beat fired up and YES! i remembered the song, and it’s awesome. with no memories, with no memories, with no memories to keep you up at night.
all my friends: i love this song. it’s a great song. i can’t believe how everyone says it’s like the best lcd soundsystem song ever, because i’m not sure i’d go that far. but yes, it’s great. you spent the first five years trying to get with the plan, and the next five years trying to be with your friends again. the difference between the pitchfork video (which i acquired the verynextdaythankyouverymuch, that has been keeping us going since 04.02.11) and being there live is the lack of all the close ups on what i now think of as james murphy’s extremely 
mournful face. of course, we had mild-nosebleed seats (worth it!) so you know, no close ups were to be had from our vantage point.
james murphy says that it’s a really long show. he is very, very wrong. it’s never long enough! never!
tired: last song before the break and some pretty outstanding costume changes. not one of my favorite staple songs of the band,b ut actually really fitting. but songs [i] don’t know? i don’t think so. this is about an hour or so into the show. break time is actually a bit welcome, i suppose.
ps – james murphy’s brother looks a hell of a lot like him, but with a smaller head.
45.33 (i): never in a million years did i believe we’d see this live. i’m ashamed to say we had only recently discovered this and all the remixes, but oh my god. when it started? you have no idea how insanely happy it made me. like, losing my damn mind insanely happy.
45.33 (ii) (w/reggie watts): um, reggie watts is a motherfucking BAMF. seriously. tru fax.
sound of silver: brief, but satisfying. i’m not 100% a fan of this song completely. like it’s good, the sentiment is the best part of this song. seriously.
45.33 (iv): this is great, but kind of blended into
45.33 (v) (w/shit robot): weirdest part of the show, but not a bad part of the show. honestly this was just one (nearly) hour long jam session of incredibleness. but also, the horns? the horn section was awesome. and until the show i never really realized that there were so many brass parts in lcd soundsystem. fuckin’ groovy, man.
45.33 (vi): post shit robot was awesome, too. listening to the audio now, the shit robot part loses something by not being able to see all of it. it was still just, a really amazing experience overall, though. #wewerethere.
freak out/starry eyes: never heard this played live before, not at any of the lcd shows i went to or anything. it was unexpected, but went well with the flow of the show and was a great follow-up to 45:33…it was, outstanding. seriously, i wish they had’ve played it more often during live sets, such a good time! rollicking good fun!
us v them: adasdfasdf
north american scum (w/arcade fire): adasdfasdf
bye bye bayou: THIS IS THE FIRST AND LAST TIME THEY PLAYED IT LIVE. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THEY PLAYED THE SONG EVER EVEN THOUGH IT’S SUPER AWESOME AND OH MY GOD WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT THEM IN MY LIVES?!?!
you wanted a hit: when this is happening came out, this is all i wanted to listen to. it is my FAVORITE song, possibly that lcd soundsystem has ever made/done? i don’t even know. but i love it, i just love it so hard, forever and ever. when the first bars of it started in the show…relief. dread. relief because oh thank god james murphy didn’t forget to play this for me. and dread because oh my god i’m never going to hear this song ever again. ever. not live. commence endless weeping forever and ever. and ever. but the perfect combo is this song, followed up by…
tribulations: it just, fits.
movement: …
yeah (crass version): adasdfasdf
someone great: …
losing my edge: DAFT PUNK DA FUNK!
home: adasdfasdf
all i want: adasdfasdf
jump into the fire (harry nilsson cover): adasdfasdf
new york, i love you but you’re bringing me down: [THIS IS THE SOUND OF MY HEART BREAKING OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOREVER]*
songs i wish made it into the show (in no particular order): pow pow, disco infiltrator, big ideas).
am i really going to be able to wait till october for the 3-disc set? seriously? i don’t even know.
* note: i still cannot listen to the live audio of the lcdmsgnyc version of this song. breaks my heart. breaks it.
**NOTE 2: i have not been able to finish this post for over a month…
it’s breaking me!
