It was at the Hollywood Bowl where my girlfriend and I caught a glimpse of the future, as presented to us by German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk. This group has been around since the mid 20th century and if this night was any indication, they truly are robots in the sense that they do not compute human wear and tear.

This was my first visit to the Hollywood Bowl and I was very impressed with what I saw; it's one of the most famous outdoor concert venues in the world and it still lived up to my expectations. I enjoyed the escalators which spare visitors

an exhausting hike up to their seats and the fact that people are allowed to bring in their own food. I myself enjoyed some nice Italian strawberry wine and a turkey wrap before the actual show started. All of this while taking in some gorgeous views of the trees and rugged mountains behind the venue (including the Hollywood sign depending on your angle).

Before Kraftwerk came on stage, there was this one string quartet named Lyris Quartet who played covers from composer Phillip Glass and Kraftwerk of course, some of the songs I remember them performing were "Europe Endless," "Ohm Sweet Ohm," and "Hall of Mirrors." They set the tone very gracefully and whetted the audience's appetite as more people entered into the amphitheater and before you know it, Kraftwerk arrives.

The show transforms into a multimedia extravaganza, as you put on the 3D glasses you're given when you walk in and watch an assortment of images jump out on a giant screen behind the group. In real robotic fashion, there is not much moving around from the band members as they attend to their keyboard podiums; the hypnotic electronic sounds and 3D imagery provide much of the show's magic. Speaking of magic, as the song "Neon Lights" was being performed, a shooting star fittingly streamed across the sky as the audience applauded; I was sure to make a wish in that moment.

The band played through much of their classic catalogue from 1974's Autobahn up to their most recent album, 2003's Tour de France Soundtracks. I personally would have loved to see them play some of their very early krautrock music from before Autobahn, but beggars can't be choosers and I greatly enjoyed what was being performed already. The sound was actually not as loud as I thought it would be, given that I typically bring earplugs to concerts only to forget them this time around. There were a few songs that cranked it up like "The Man Machine" and "Radioactivity," but it was not too hard on the ears overall and the music sounded crystal clear and polished throughout.

All-in-all, this was an amazing experience and I'm happy I had the chance to witness a truly groundbreaking group in the history of music. What The Beatles are to rock-and-roll, Black Sabbath to heavy metal, and Meshuggah to what people call the "djent" movement (I doubt that's a thing really), Kraftwerk is to electronica. Much of today's dance club music owes a lot to this group and it was a great pleasure to listen to their minimalist artistry in person. End transmission.

Setlist:

1. Numbers

2 Computer World

3. Home Computer

4. Computer Love

5. The Man Machine

6. Spacelab

7. The Model

8. Neon Lights

9. Metropolis

10. Autobahn

11. Geiger Counter

12. Radioactivity

13. Electric Café

14. Tour De France

15. Tour De France Étape 1

16. Chrono

17. Tour De France Étape 2

18. Trans-Europe Express

Encore:

19. The Robots

Encore 2:

20. Aéro Dynamic

21. Planet of Visions

22. Boing Boom Tschak

23. Techno Pop

24. Musique Non Stop