The Brothers gonna work it out

I have loved the Chemical Brothers for a long time, so of course when I heard they were coming to Chicago, I was giddy. They are touring in support of their latest album, We Are the Night, which is very good. So last night they played at the Riviera Theater, and the show was far more amazing that I even imagined it would be. My cousin joined me for a most memorable night.

I have never been to an electronic show before, so I did not know what to expect. Some people probably think that the group would just stand up there pressing play. Well Ed and Tom were hard at work, with many machines, mixers, decks, and the like.

The nearly sold-out crowd had great energy. The a.c. at the Riv is not very good, so with a couple thousand people dancing, combined with the 90 degree day, the place was very warm. I am not sure I have ever been sweatier.

Anyway, the show was brilliant. The guys played many of my favorite songs, and they played for 2 hours. But the highlight of the show was the huge 40 foot video screen on which was broadcast a wide array of dazzling graphics, strange videos, and stunning feats of acrobatic lighting.

(Click any picture for a larger image)

The show started with a powerful version of "Galvanize," and the military-themed lights were a nice touch.

The crowd was definitely into it.

A definite highlight of the show was the performance of "Do it Again." The dancing light-men on the screen, combined with the giant faces, made for a fun number.


Ed and Tom seemed like they were having a lot of fun, and their enthusiasm was infectious.

One of my favorite Chemical Brothers songs is "Out of Control," and this was a total crowd pleaser.


This particular graphic was one of my favorites. The show featured a wonderful combination of new songs and old classics.

Tom.

A stirring moment of the concert came with the song "Surface to Air," which I consider to be one of the most beautiful electronic songs ever.

And then the robots came . . .

One of the best songs from the new album is the Superball-bouncey "Saturate," and the video for this was a lot of exploding paint balls.



My favorite performances, in addition to those already mentioned here, were "Star Guitar," "Hey Boy, Hey Girl," and "The Golden Path."

Another prime selection from the new album is "Das Spiegel," featuring Tom on the fancy electronic mouth organ. This is a sublime song.

For the encore, the guys came back with some old school big beat madness, featuring their classics "Leave Home ("The Brothers Gonna Work it Out") and "Block Rockin' Beats," which made the hot and exhausted crowd go wild with new life.



You can watch a live clip of "Do It Again" (along with others) here. (This is not the Chicago show, but the light & video show is the same.) It is definitely worth a look.

Though I stayed out way too late on a school night, it was so worth it. The Chemical Brothers put on one of the best shows I have ever seen.