LCD Soundsystem are marking a milestone this fall: their 100th New York City residency show. The band have announced a string of dates at Knockdown Center in Queens and Brooklyn Steel, with the Nov. 30 gig serving as the century mark. They will donate 100% of ticket proceeds from that show to a charity to be named later.
The residency runs across three weekends. Shows start Nov. 19-22 at Knockdown Center, move to Brooklyn Steel for Nov. 30-Dec. 3, then close with four more at Knockdown Center from Dec. 10-13. It caps a stretch of performances that began in 2017, when the band started doing DJ sets, surprises and afterparties in the Big Apple.
“It’s not the last thing we need, but it’d be in the bottom quarter somewhere; below universal healthcare, above a new Simply Red record.”
The 100th Show and Its Charity
The Nov. 30 Brooklyn Steel show is the centennial. LCD Soundsystem have committed to giving all ticket money from that night to a charity that will be announced closer to the date.
Tickets go on sale through several stages. An American Express pre-sale opens Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. local time and runs through Thursday, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. local time. An artist pre-sale follows Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. local time. General sale starts Friday, Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. local time via AXS.
That general sale opens Friday, Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. local time. The pre-sale windows run from Oct. 6 through Oct. 8 for American Express buyers, and Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. local time for the artist pre-sale.
Al Doyle’s Solo Record
Guitarist and keyboardist Al Doyle has announced his debut solo album, Hollywood Saviour, due this fall on DFA. The lead single “Hard Times In America” is out now.
Doyle’s description of the project is blunt. He ranks a solo record low on what the world needs, placing it below universal healthcare and above a new Simply Red record. He admits he would not get much done if he followed what the world needs.
“I’m more a microphone-choosing, volume-adjusting, cocktail-drinking kinda guy,” he said. “Then again, if you go into the studio every day, and noodle about with stuff enough, eventually you’re gonna come up with an album, and that’s pretty much what happened.”
A Late Career Solo Move
A solo album from a man in his mid-40s is a strange choice, Doyle acknowledges. He needed this much time to find the confidence to ignore what anyone might think of him making such a narcissistic move.
“I did want folks to have fun listening to it though,” he said. “It’s not difficult music; there’s a bunch of guitar/bass/drum arrangements, a lot of synths and drum machines too. Basically exactly what you’d expect me to make, having been in the bands I’ve been in.”
He frames the record as a thank-you to the musicians he has borrowed from over the years. “In a way the record is a thank you to all the masterful musicians I’ve stolen from over the last many years; this is the result of many hands. Nothing happens in a vacuum that doesn’t suck.”
The Singles So Far
The lead single “Hard Times In America” is a chipper tune about this bleak existence. It is available now.
The Full Run of Dates
Here is how the residency breaks down:
| Date | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11/19 | Knockdown Center | Queens |
| 11/20 | Knockdown Center | Queens |
| 11/21 | Knockdown Center | Queens |
| 11/22 | Knockdown Center | Queens |
| 11/30 | Brooklyn Steel | Brooklyn |
| 12/01 | Brooklyn Steel | Brooklyn |
| 12/02 | Brooklyn Steel | Brooklyn |
| 12/03 | Brooklyn Steel | Brooklyn |
| 12/10 | Knockdown Center | Queens |
| 12/11 | Knockdown Center | Queens |
| 12/12 | Knockdown Center | Queens |
| 12/13 | Knockdown Center | Queens |
What We Make of It
The residency numbers are the story. Twelve shows across three weekends is a heavy schedule for a band that has been doing this since 2017. The 100th show is a natural stopping point, and donating all proceeds to charity gives the milestone meaning beyond the count itself.
Doyle’s solo record arrives as a side note, but it carries a similar spirit of defiance. He is not pretending the record is essential; he is making it anyway, and he sounds amused by the whole thing.
The singles so far suggest a lighter touch than his band work. A chipper tune about bleak existence fits that description well.
The Bottom Line
LCD Soundsystem’s 100th NYC residency show is a celebration of a decade of performances. Al Doyle’s debut solo album Hollywood Saviour is a quiet admission that even a guitarist can make noise on his own. Both are worth marking on your calendar.
See the video the story is built around at Stereogum.
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