LCD Soundsystem live at the Tabernacle Mon., Oct. 4
James Murphy shuffled across stage at The Tabernacle like a man who had just woken up and rolled off the couch to answer the phone.
- Perry Julien
See more photos of LCD Soundsystem and Sleigh Bells at The Tabernacle.
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James Murphy shuffled across the stage at The Tabernacle last night like a man who had just woken up and rolled off the couch to answer the phone. While he fumbled with his belt buckle and lazily stretched one arm over his head to limber up while the band pounded out the rhythms of what would become "Dance Yrself Clean," the opening number from LCD Soundsystem's latest, and supposedly last record, This Is Happening.
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A few songs in he apologized for his lethargy, blaming it on the abundance of BBQ he'd been eating since they arrived in Atlanta. But no one was complaining...
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Murphy's sluggish movements were actually kind of an endearing touch, and a sharp contrast to the noisy, post-industrial pep rally pop-dirge blasted out by opening duo, Sleigh Bells. It's hard to believe that the brains behind this group, Derek Miller is one of the guys responsible for that crappy, circa Y2K Florida hardcore band Poison the Well, but it doesn't behoove anyone to drag that out any longer. Really, he's come a long way with Sleigh Bells' brash and scraping guitar assaults that cry out like air raid sirens over bombastic beats and distortion. Singer Alexis Krauss' performance was breathy and guttural as she danced around the stage, chanting and headbanging in a tussle of thrashing hair and sparkly hot pants.
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The sound was massive, sultry and driven by future-primitive drum machine beats and tasteful aggression. Who knew that a couple of Brooklynite hipster types could churn-out such seductive and damaging crunk jams?