Daft Punk
By: Donna Brown |
Thursday August 02, 2007 |
 |
Seattle, WA |
| The thing about stadium shows is that nobody ever likes the opening band. Even though the audience wasn't really into The Rapture, the transplanted (via San Diego) New Yorkers worked their narrow behinds off putting on a show. The result was funky and, I dare say, a bit more seamless than Daft Punk's show. The problem lay in my earplugs. They canceled out so much noise that I couldn't hear the percolating beats in "Uhh Huh, Woo, Yeah, Alright!" or Luke Jenner's Robert Smith yelps in "The Devil" or "House of Jealous Lovers", which is practically all high end. I kept pulling the plugs out and shoving them back in, wanting to groove but also wanting to save my hearing. When Daft Punk appeared, looking like Tron in Hedi Slimane-designed robot outfits, the need to dance was palpable. There had been a slight bopping previously, courtesy of Ed Banger DJs Kavinsky and Sebastian, but it wasn't the same. Now there was a pyramid involved. It was as if Daft Punk had co-opted the KLF's aesthetic wholesale, but nobody noticed, because of the collective booty-shaking. Everybody was dancing, and the kids were making an effort. My friend Josh said it was too much like a rave, but that was what I liked about it, even though I kept looking at the stage as if something interesting would happen. Nope, it was still just a pyramid with some robots on it. People went all out dress-wise. There were space boots, a dude in a chicken outfit, and a bunch of kids dressed like Altern 8. Even the Brian Krakow-looking dude in front of me, kitted out in flip-flops like his girlfriend, was Making an Anti-Fashion Statement. Yay! It's 1991 all over again! Especially the KLF part. Unfortunately, the Gallic duo's set fell flat in places. Walking the fine line between concert and rave, Daft Punk suffered in both areas. As a rock show, there wasn't much to hold the attention once you got past the light show (and the pyramid). As DJs they were no match for their Ed Banger warmups. Dead air killed the momentum on more than one occasion, "One More Time" appeared one time too many, and a mashup of "Around the World" and Thomas Bangalter's one-off project Stardust's hit single "Music Sounds Better With You" was abortive at best. However, the duo compensated by providing more than enough bright spots. "Harder Better Faster Stronger" ruled, and got the most audience response due to its use in the recent Kanye West track. Pre-encore closer "Human After All" was a stomper, and it did my old-school heart good to hear "Da Funk," still classic after all these years, blasting from the insane PA setup. I felt the raver vibe descending upon me, making me charitable toward everyone. That was really weird. Luckily, Daft Punk tours about as often as Halley's Comet, so I don't have to worry about that again. Editor's Note: Daft Punk's film, Electrorama is making the rounds across America now. Be sure to check out the band's Website for theatres or clubs playing it in your area. WaMu Amphitheatre Seattle, WA July 29 2007 |
