Underworld @ Central Park Summer Stage

Although the big show this weekend was Interpol at Madison Square Garden, the real good time to be had was to witness the spectacle that is seeing techno veterans Underworld turn Central Park into the rave of the year. Interpol @ MSG just seemed like a silly idea, so I took the invite to photograph Underworld last Friday night in their first area show in four years. By far, it was an experience like no other -- being surrounded by forest on a clear night with one of the most dynamic live dance acts around couldn't be beat.

Seeing an act like Underworld live can be tricky. Basically, it's three guys behind a deck of computers. As we know, Daft Punk's live show has not only raised the bar, but they've set the gold standard for live dance music with their multi-million dollar light and laser spectacular. Underworld didn't surpass that visual feast, but with a bunch of their well-known tracks mixed with some interesting rear-projection, inflatable light balloons and a lead singer who's a showman and hype-man in one, they've made a show that's a must-see.

Of course, people came to the middle of the park to dance to some of best electronic music ever-made. Hands down, "Born Slippy (Nuxx)" is their best track and, an argument can be made that it's one of the best dance tracks ever made. It's association with Trainspotting will be forever intertwined. Live, it was the climax to the two-hour show where everybody anticipates its being played. Even though I was separated from the crowd, I still was dancing and jumping my ass off. Just when that was though, they end the show with "King of Snake", which is also a balls to wall intense dance track that seems to last forever. Underworld have pretty much perfected the 10-minute dance track that a single beat line through the while song.

What I admire about the show is how the act manipulated the crowd. It's just one high on top of another high. They slowly bring the energy up with somethin like "Dark & Long (Dark Train)" and while you think it's going to explode into a dance frenzy, they bring you down a bit with a song like "Rez," with it's ode to the spaceship communication scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The visual highlight of the show was "Two Months Off," where the stage comes alive with these inflatable balloon tubes that change color with the music. Since Underworld, has a new studio album, Oblivion with Bells, coming out next month, they played it's first single, "Crocodile."

As the center of the show is 50-year old singer, guitarist, dance man Karl Hyde, who could have one of the best jobs in music, dancing and singing in front of millions of people around the world. He's the face and voice of the troupe and he relishes every moment he's on stage. More fun for him, is getting to see crowd of people go nuts for the music. During the show, he shimmies around while a stage band follows him a spotlight

For those who haven't blocked the day from their memory, Underworld last played Giants Stadium during Field Day Fest, also known as Failed Day Fest. It was a horrible day with torrential rain, low temperatures and just a bad experience. When Underworld took the stage that day, they turned the festival around with their performance having the few that was in the stadium dancing around and embracing the cold rain.

So the Underworld live act should be a must for any dance music fan, if only to be part of a communal dance experience. Once in a while I would look over the crowd and see the lights flash over their faces and reflect of the Central Park trees. I thought, "This is something I won't see again in Central Park."

Here are my pictures, which turned out fantastically.

Comments

[redboy]

looks like we (yet again) ended up taking pics at the same show, eh? nice pics sir!

here are mine:

http://www.redboy.com/wp/?p=506

[jax407]

These are great pics! And you are so right on about this show. It was one of the best experiences that I have had at a live dance show in Central Park! Underworld are kings forever.

[Erich Ian]

Awesome show. I didn't take pictures, but was able to do a write up on it. Check it out. Mahalo!