As Tim Sweeney played with the filters for the last time, James Murphy & co. took the stage to deliver the much-anticipated LCD Soundsystem concert. There had been much discussion beforehand about whether Cosmopol’s limited capacity was the right choice over Arena’s bigger tent, but from my spot a handful of meters from the fence, Cosmopol seemed like the right choice.

Not only was the tent and much of the surrounding space packed with people eager to join Murphy in his New York dance rock antics, the temperature had also gone way past what could possibly be healthy. The tight groove of Us V Them provided a smooth transitions from Sweeney’s warm-up and from the first beat it was obvious that Cosmopol indeed agreed that the time had come.

On the stage, the rest of the band remained somewhat anonymous, which only helped James Murphy (dressed all in white, of course) wrap us around his fingers. It may just be bias after Sweeney’s set, but in the live setting, Murphy’s experience as a dj makes his stage presence just a tad more exciting. Adding a little more heartbreak, a little more power, and a little more vulnerability at the right moments, he firmly controlled the action until the tent literally couldn’t contain itself anymore.

The self-examining tracks from the recent This Is Happening had been abandoned for Sound of Silver and the early LCD incarnations’ dance appeal. After hearing I Can Change that turned out to be a smart decision. The newer tracks simply don’t carry the same appeal, and while they may be fine for headphone listening, the few of that made it to the set list seemed strangely off with Drunk Girls as the possible exception (and that pretty much says it all).

Fortunately, LCD Soundsystem has a strong catalogue of snarky grooves. Sound of Silver material blended in with the anarchistic older singles and proved that Someone Great could do what the TIH tracks couldn’t and that All My Friends still can bring a fragmented generation together in a couple of minutes of bliss.

Towards the end, Murphy dug further back in his crate and drew out Tribulations, Movement, Yeah! (with even more tease than usual), and Losing My Edge to round off the show. Cosmopol was all hands while Murphy jumped around, screamed, danced, delivered a cowbell solo, and played a bit with Pat Mahoney’s drums. Tim Sweeney may had left us wanting more, and LCD Soundsystem did the same despite the ridiculously hot tent and an unmatched level of energy. The only question now is where all the balloons that hung at the top of the tent earlier went. Perhaps you can come back and tell us, James?

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