Shut Up and Play the Hits

It’s no secret that I’m adamant about the music I listen to. I will be seeing Tool, Radiohead, and Red Hot Chili Peppers within the next few months, and all the concert tickets cost me a pretty penny. This is great and all, as both Radiohead and Tool have put on two of the best performances I’ve ever seen and RHCP is on my list of bands that I must see before I die, but these guys aren’t the best in my book. No, the best is over, and I was fortunate enough to witness it end.

On April 2nd, 2011, my girlfriend and I were perusing the streets of Manhattan, eagerly awaiting the show that would be happening that evening; LCD Soundsystem’s farewell show at Madison Square Garden. The tickets cost me a bundle and the flights even more, but to me it wasn’t about cost. I believe that money is only worth the things you spend it on, and if that’s true then I bought an experience I will remember for a lifetime instead of a new TV. To say that the show was the best show I’ve ever seen would be an understatement, and I’ve seen some good shows. LCD Soundsystem played their entire discography (literally) over the span of 5+ hours. For those of you that are familiar with the band, they even played their 45:33 album all the way through. They even brought a number of guests to the stage, one of which was the band Arcade Fire.

Even if you don’t like LCD Soundsystem’s music, it’s hard to dislike the stance that the band took towards its fans. For instance, when James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem’s lead singer and mastermind) found out that scalpers had caused the MSG show to sell out instantly, he expressed outrage and shortly thereafter announced 5 additional shows in the week before the MSG show, hoping to lower demand for MSG. Its not often that you find a band that so adamantly cares about the people that support them, and to me this act was heartily refreshing.

I could go on and on about the respect I have for LCD Soundsystem and the hard times their music helped me get through, but this isn’t the appropriate venue for such. The reason I am even writing this is to spread the word about Shut Up and Play the Hits, a documentary that follows James Murphy around the time of the farewell show, showing what its like to conduct the funeral for your own incredibly popular and respected band. I eagerly await this documentary, and hopefully I’ve piqued some interest in you all as well. I’ve embedded the trailer below as well as some pictures we took before the MSG show for all you nay-sayers.