Las Vegas Mixtape v33: Man Machines, Bi-Ethnic Cuisine, and Blissful Oblivion

Track #1: Kraftwerk @Encore Theater at the Wynn

Kraftwerk illuminated the strange relationship between man and machines. (Image: Vegas 411)

At Kraftwerk’s show at the Encore Theater at The Wynn, I boarded the “Trans Europe Express,” raced on the “Autobahn,” experienced “Radioactivity,” and became a “Man Machine,” to quote the titles of some of their classic songs. Before an adoring and arty-looking audience, the music performed by these electronic/art rock visionaries was minimalist, stubborn, and, at its best, hypnotic. With the state of the world right now, why not simply opt out and transform oneself into a “Robot”?

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Kraftwerk were formed in 1970 in Germany by Ralf Hutter, the only original member left, and they’re now on tour celebrating “50 Years of Autobahn.” Hutter and his three cohorts walked onstage at the Encore precisely at 8pm, all dressed in their form-fitting and illuminated matching suits that evoked the film “Tron.” Accompanied by high-tech graphics and vintage films, they stood in front of their synthesizers and drum machines for two hours, barely moving.

Kraftwerk—the ultimate modern group, awash in color. (Image: Vegas 411)

And yet—they absolutely owned the stage, reminding everyone how they audaciously saw the future of music 55 years ago. Who needs blues, folk, and country when you can create machine music and head to space with repetitive beats and concise melodies? At the Encore, Kraftwerk served them up with their electronically treated vocals and chilling ahead-of-their-time lyrics.

Their 1978 song “The Man Machine” remains both a dead-on celebration of, and warning about, mankind’s relationship with technology: “MAN machine, semi human being.”  Kraftwerk also cautioned us, in 1981’s “Computer Love,” that you can fall in love with your machine, but you’ll be lonely too, singing,  “I don’t know what to do/I need a rendezvous.” Their words resonated eerily tonight.