When someone great is gone

I think my life may have peaked over the weekend. I can think of few things better than almost four hours of dancing to live LCD Soundsystem from the pit at Madison Square Garden, and that is presumably the last time I will be seeing them live at all. But I should start from the beginning.

I picked up Carly, Paul, and Rebecca in Hellertown long before the show was to begin. It was my first attempt at driving to New York City, and we are all still alive, so I’d call it a success. We almost got wedged between a tractor trailer and a bus on the merge before the George Washington Bridge. I was lucky to have people to distract me with such thought-provoking questions as, “Would you rather have one boob or three?”

We arrived in Astoria in the middle of the afternoon and promptly departed for the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden. It was nice enough to sit outside, and I can’t wait to go back in the summer. We ordered pitchers of beer, giant sausages, potato pancakes, and more pickles than we needed.

The best things to put in your stomach before jumping up and down for four hours.

Then, to Manhattan for my first trip to MSG. Carly and I printed out our tickets and had to go around the block to get in the proper entrance. We had to walk through the underbelly of MSG to get to the floor. Even if I go back for a game or another concert, I doubt I’ll ever traverse that route again.VIP!

We’re all very important people. Except for Glasses, who is a very creepy person.

We were among the first people to arrive – due to my phobia of showing up late – so we had some time to stand around. Most people adhered to the dress code of black and white. It looked like we were at the best funeral ever. We easily got a spot even closer to the stage than when I saw them in Philly. The pit area was wide and short instead of long and narrow, so there was a lot less shoving.

Some mourners we met in the pit.

Once LCD took the stage, they performed for almost as long as it took me to run the NYC Marathon. (Full show video is here.) Daft Punk did not show up, as I had guessed they might, but Arcade Fire did for “North American Scum,” one of the highlights of the evening. Despite the show’s length, James Murphy and company had a ton of energy the whole time, and so did the crowd. So! Much! Dancing! Please enjoy this low-quality video I took from my point of view:

It all ended with “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” and a balloon drop. Not gonna lie, I cried a bit. I wish I had fully appreciated LCD before I saw them last September. I mainly went to that show for Sleigh Bells, but I emerged a die-hard LCD fan, just months before they announced their end.

However, I have immense respect for James Murphy for ending this on a high note. Too many acts keep going until they start to suck, and that never happened with LCD. High five to them for making a smart decision and for throwing the best funeral – and live show – I’ll ever go to.

Near the end of the final show. LCD, you will be missed.