The final day of the inaugural Re:SET concert series went out with a bang, despite the weather gods getting in the way throughout this past Sunday.
Idles
Idles always deliver. Their energy, their raw emotions, and their incredibly chant-able songs are perfect for a live setting. While their set tends to follow a similar structure from show to show, the fact that they play like they want to leave a lasting impression on every audience ensures that they will always be a fun performance to catch. Running in place, punching your own face, playing from the crowd – it hits every time.
Some of my favorite moments included the shout outs to Frankie Knuckles and Pequod’s, a barely-there’s interpolation of Adele’s “Nothing But the Best” with lyrics including “wish nothing but the best… something something something about looove… sorry I just had to get that off my chest. We have been Adele. Goodbye”
Jamie XX
If I had to pick an artist that was my MVP of the Re:SET weekend, it would have to be Jamie XX. The famed DJ had everything going against him, from a rain-induced delay that ultimately to a shortened set, to having to perform from the area dedicated to the soundboard, all this was just another obstacle to gallantly overcome.
His setup was simple (shout out the tiny disco ball ?) but it delivered some of the best vibes. At one point the rain returned and the production team lent a hand by holding up umbrellas over Jamie XX’s equipment, giving the set the feeling that nothing was going to get in the way now, and the crowd used that dance the entire time.
LCD Soundsystem
There isn’t much for me to say about this group, considering they’re one of my favorites of all time. What I can add is that they demonstrated once more exactly why they’re so loved by fans.
On the musical side of the show, some of my highlights include their casual interpolation of Kraftwerk on the opening number and the looser feel to “Losin My Edge” accented by some delightfully screechy guitars along with playing a bit of Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock” right before “you don’t know what you really want.” They played a tight and efficient set and the stage banter was mostly used for the important stuff like shouting out everyone on the bill and Murphy clarifying how the storms prevented us in the audience from seeing their giant disco ball adorning the stage, but the music sounded great and it was one big party.
But my favorite thing that happened was the spirit of community and camaraderie that they brought to this date. Earlier in the day, James Murphy and other members of the band came out to jam with IDLES to help close out their set. They also made sure that Jamie XX had time to do his thing, letting him play his set from the soundboard until the very last minute possible so that they can follow it up immediately from the main stage instead of having to delay their own or cutting into Jamie XX’s. The NY outfit also recruited IDLES bassist to help them play their set.
It just felt like they were all in this together and that connection shined through in everyone’s performance.
Photo Credit: Oscar Oliva Jr / Pursuit Of Dopeness
