THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS
SEPTEMBER 22, 2007
MCCARREN POOL, BROOKLYN
WORDS: CAMERON COOK
PHOTOS: ABBEY BRADEN

A friend who had seen The Chemical Brothers at their summer concert series in Traflagar Square in London recently described their live show to me as a "phychedelic experience". He wasn't mistaken. This writer has been to a lot of shows in his whiskey-sodden, bleary-eyed life, and nothing has ever compared to the full on mind-bending RAVE the Chemical Brothers unleashed upon McCarren Pool last Saturday.

Their stage production was rumored to cost a hefty $2 million, complete with an utterly astonishing light show and gigantic neon screen that, we're going to say it, gave the much fabled Daft Punk shows we saw this past summer a run for their money. While Daft Punk are the purveyors of the current wave of cool, sleek rave kids, the Chemical Brothers are a throwback to what rave once meant: the good, the totally fucking brilliant and the insanely cheesy. Non-ironic day-glo wristbands and pacifiers abounded at the show, but even if you packed away your baggy pants for good in 1993, there's no denying The Chems' undying grasp on dance culture.

As they took the stage (after a understated set from openers Ladytron), you could almost feel the love exuding from each person's dilated pores. Then, the opening strings of "Galvanized" exploded from the sound system and we were off. When a dance act like the Chemical Brothers play a balls-to-the-wall, greatest-hits set, it makes you realize just how much you've always loved their songs, and in fact, their entire persona. It's like a long lost high school friend calling you out of the blue to rehash old times. Remember when "Hey Boy Hey Girl" came out and you played it again and again on your Discman? Or when Michel Gondry directed that fucking awesome "Star Guitar" video? What separates bands like Chemical Brothers from the rest is they are a decent band that somehow infiltrated the mainstream, so you find yourself letting go of the music snobbism for a second and basking in the glory.