we are the robots

caught the kraftwerk show at hammerstein last night and, despite being stuck behind a 6'3" dude in a cowboy hat all night, it was completely uncalled for. from the first notes of "man machine", the four aging germans proved once again that they are unparalleled in the realm of electronic music. even though i'm pretty sure they were all running soft synths, there was an undeniably organic feel to the musik for robots, especially when coupled with the decidedly analog-digital video projections. highlights of the night included "neon lights", "the model", "radioactivity", and "pocket calculator" (which was given a surprisingly pleasant 4 to the floor beat). i was really feeling recent single "aerodynamik", although i think most of the crowd was more into the older tracks. i know i might be in the minority on this one, but i found the appearance of robotic replacements for the band during one of the encore sets to be...um...predictable...overall though, a thoroughly ridiculous night.

check out onelouder's full review with pics