The year 2024 marked the 50th anniversary of Kraftwerk’s daring electronic classic Autobahn. The LP saw the band come into their own as daring, mystical sonic wizards, as the album would define the band’s timeless sound. Kraftwerk’s ability to implement pop-leaning tendencies into their synth-heavy approach gave them the leg up they needed to connect with a broad audience. That cult-like audience is getting a treat celebrating fifty years of Kraftwerk. The band’s Multimedia tour is set to take them across North America, but last night (March 6), Kraftwerk got things underway in Philadelphia. Just as the city’s heart rate began to drop after an exciting February of trophies and parades, Kraftwerk kicked down the door of Franklin Music Hall with a career-spanning setlist.
Kraftwerk jumped around their discography, giving their day-one fans the pleasure of seeing hits and deep cuts live. The band kicked things off with a medley of songs from their 1981 Computer World album, which included both title tracks and “Numbers.” The band would use medleys a few times last night, stringing together songs from their Tour de France album and 1977 classic Trans-Europe. Shockingly, Kraftwerk only touched on Autobahn once, performing the title track from the fifty-year-old LP. Primarily, the band focused on their iconic 1978 The Man-Machine, performing five of the six songs from the album. The band would bounce around their colorful discography for the rest of the night, pulling out songs like “Radioactivity,” “Electric Café,” and “Computer Love.” Kraftwerk wrapped up the night with an encore that included “The Robots,” “Planet of Visions,” and a medley of “Boing Boom Tschak / Musique Non Stop.”
With night one in the books, Kraftwerk’s Multimedia tour is officially on. Next, the electronic pioneers will go to Pittsburgh before heading North to Toronto and Montreal. The 25-city tour will have the band visiting Florida, Atlanta, Portland, and Texas, including their weekends at this year’s Coachella festival. You can check out their complete list of dates, the full setlist from night one, and footage from Kraftwerk’s stop in Philly below.
