Live music review: Electronic music trailblazers Kraftwerk presented in 3D at ACL Live
German electronic music trailblazers Kraftwerk played ACL Live at the Moody Theater on Monday presenting in 3D during a performance that ran through the group’s entire catalog. During a rare (for this Summer) thunderstorm that brought bolts of lighting from the sky, the quartet delivered a sonic and visual experience that exists to present their groundbreaking music in the most ideal setting possible. They succeeded in doing just that.
With a gigantic, oversized screen behind them and a spare, sterile set design consisting of robotic looking podiums holding their equipment while the four men stood nearly motionless in matching uniforms, emulating the music making bots from the future they derive their inspiration from.
Still futuristic after nearly five decades of creating music that has inspired an entire genre with sub-genres that get booked at major fests, Ralf Hütter along with Fritz Hilpert, Henning Schmitz, and live video programmer Falk Grieffenhagan pushed further into the future with Monday’s show in downtown Austin.
Mashing electronic, synthesized beats with pop lyrics and computer-themed effects, in 2022 Kraftwerk appear incredibly prescient. Music these guys made in the 70s somehow still has a newness to it that is hard to articulate. They’re clearly geniuses at what they do, having honed the effort for a very long time.
The group’s matching, Matrix-like skin-tight suits looked like something out of the film Tron appropriately enough. The screen behind them was pumping out a steady stream of video clips, film reels and effects while they ran nearly in chronological order through their now vast catalog of songs.
Autobahn (1974), Radio-Activity (’75), Trans-Europe Express (’77), The Man-Machine (’78), Computer World (1981), Electric Café (’86), and Tour de France Soundtracks (2003) all made appearances in the set list much to the delight of concertgoers who sat enraptured with cardboard 3D glasses on their faces. The scene looked more like a 50’s-era movie house than a concert hall.
While the band coaxed weird sounds from their synthesizers, vocoders and various effects machines the audience sat transfixed to the band and screen behind them. During the encore, the musicians appeared to be replaced by four robots hidden behind the screen, perhaps hinting at a future in which artificial intelligence robots perform for humans. We’re not sure we’re ready for that but Kraftwerk clearly is.
All photos by Michael Maly
Video footage courtesy of Bryan Kemp
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