LCD Soundsystem Caps 12-Night Residency In Rainy New York

It may have been rainy and gross outside, but it warm and sweaty inside New York’s Knockdown Center last night (Dec. 10) for the last of 12 shows as part of LCD Soundsystem‘s annual Big Apple winter residency. Admitting “most of us got sick” during the run, frontman James Murphy told the sold-out crowd, “We’re in a car limping ferociously to the finish line, but we’re gonna leave it all up here.”

And while the 18-song set list didn’t deviate much from what LCD has been playing during its four prior shows at Brooklyn Steel and Terminal 5 and the first three gigs at Knockdown Center, the group once again offered up a potent antidote to the pre-holiday blues during their 18-song set. The show featured a number of influence-revealing teases before songs, including Kraftwerk’s “Computer Love” before “I Can Change,” a tag of Robert Palmer’s “Johnny and Mary” at the end of “Home” and a nod to the Pogues’ “Fairytale in New York” during “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down.”

Murphy was in trademark self-deprecating form, at one point confessing, “my ears are shot. I’m old!” But he also made sure the party kept going, instructing the audience to stick around to groove to DJs such as Shit Robot, JDF and DJ Holographic at the in-house afterparty. “Stick around. I know you need to go home, but you don’t,” he said. “Unless you’re with your parents.”

As previously reported, LCD is working on its first album since 2017’s American Dream. The group will close out the year with New Year’s shows in San Francisco on Dec. 30-31 and has several European headlining and festival gigs on tap for 2024, beginning June 26 at Malahide Castle in Dublin. First, LCD will play the Kilby Block Party in Salt Lake City, which takes place May 10-12 and also features the Postal Service, Wu-Tang Clan and Death Cab for Cutie.

Murphy and LCD’s Nancy Whang also appear on IDLES’ new song, “Dancer.”