When Saturday Night Live finally returns on Feb. 26 after an extended hiatus, the show will be back with a bang; comedian John Mulaney will join the five-timers club, and rock group LCD Soundsystem will make their debut on the SNL stage. Although the Brooklyn-based group may be gracing Studio 6H for the first time, they’ve been together for over 20 years, and have had quite the musical and emotional journey. 5 things to know about the band ahead of their performance, here.
LCD Soundsystem Have Played Together for 20 Years
First formed by frontman James Murphy in 2002, the rock group will celebrate their 20th year as a unit this year; and it’s been quite the ride. The band has been nominated for three Grammy Awards but didn’t win their first until 2018 when their hit “Tonite” took home the trophy for Best Electronic/Dance Recording.
LCD Soundsystem Formed in Brooklyn
The band has had loyalty to New York since the beginning and played their first-ever shows as a group in Brooklyn. Perhaps their most classic track, “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” has become an anthem for the ennui and emptiness the city can bring. In a grand gesture honoring their roots, last December the band announced a massive 20-date residency at Brooklyn Steel, which was unfortunately cut short on Dec. 19 due to the Omicron variant.
20 years doesn’t happen just like that, and LCD Soundsystem have run into bumps in the road before. In 2011, the band even announced they were splitting up, and performed a farewell concert for fans at Madison Square Garden. Though the band allegedly split up in part to boost ticket sales, James revealed to The Guardian in 2017 there was more to it as well. “We were set up, especially in America, to make a similar record to our last one, and just be way bigger. And that made me deeply sad. It just kind of sickened me…So it seemed like the most beautiful and honest thing to do was to just not do it.”
LCD Soundsystem Made A Live Documentary About That Breakup
Shut up and Play The Hits, directed by British filmmakers Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, chronicles LCD’s breakup announcement and their Madison Square Garden farewell concert. Will and Dylan shared they were interested in chronicling why a group would ever break up, in a relaxed manner at that, at the height of their popularity. The documentary chronicles a period in LCD history made even more interesting by the fact that they reunited in 2015. Their 2017 comeback album American Dream was even nominated for a Grammy.
LCD Soundsystem Are Currently Playing East Coast Residencies
After an extended hiatus, it’s been a great few months to be an LCD Soundsystem, as the group have been playing lengthy residencies along the East Coast. Though their Brooklyn residency was cut short, the sometimes reclusive band hasn’t given up on getting back on stages; LCD Soundsystem just announced upcoming three-night stays in Philadelphia and Boston. They’ll be touching down in Philadelphia Mar. 28-31, and will be in Boston Apr. 3-6.
