Kraftwerk Delivered an Audio-Visual Delight at the Arsht Center

Standing stoically onstage at the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk ran through their notable music catalogue. Even if you don't think you know who Kraftwerk is, there is a good chance you've heard their music sampled by acts ranging from New Order and Afrika Bambaataa to Ciara and Busta Rhymes. It is a reminder of how influential the band has been, not just for electronic music but music as a whole.

The band kicked off their set as they have done for a while now, with the Computer World cut "Numbers" eventually transitioning to the album's titled track and its mashup of the two tracks, "Computer World 2." "Eins, zwei, drei, vier/Fünf, sechs, sieben, acht" ("One, two, three, four/Five, six, seven, eight") the robot vocals rang as the quartet played live. Make no mistake: despite the band's almost detached presence on stage, they are playing live, with synthesizers, MIDI pad controllers, and more all concealed from the audience's view. Even the visuals are generated in real-time.

With a familiar start to their show, I was worried the band would deliver a similar set to their 3D show, which Miami audiences witnessed when Kraftwerk performed at the Olympia Theater in 2015. However, my worries were quickly extinguished. With the Olympia show featuring mini-suites of each of the band's core albums, last night's show was more like a traditional concert, where the band mixed up the songs, with peaks and valleys throughout the set.

If "Airwaves" gave the audience a bit of a rest, it would soon be followed by "The Man-Machine" and "Electric Café," bringing back the energy. The visuals were familiar to anyone who has been to a Kraftwerk show in the last 20 years. A mix of Russian constructivism, de Stijl, and late Eighties CorelDraw, the graphics somehow feel futuristic and out of fashion at the same time — but that only seems to add to the charm.
Kraftwerk also kept longtime fans on their toes in their setlist choices, performing the unreleased track "Tango" as well as deep cuts like "Electric Café" and "La Forme." Unfortunately, performances of fan-favorites "Pocket Calculator" and "The Telephone Call" were missing. Still, the crowd erupted when the band started playing the first notes of "The Model," the biggest hit in the band's catalogue.

Soon, the crackles of "Gieger Counter" led to "Radioactivity." "Tschernobyl, Harrisburg, Sellafield, Hiroshima," Ralf Hütter sang as a not-so-subtle nod to nuclear disasters. "Radioactivity/Is in the air for you and me/Radioactivity/Discovered by Madame Curie," Hütter continued, playing on the title's double meaning. While I commend the band's push to bring awareness to the dangers of nuclear fallout, I've learned over the years that the nuclear debate is much more complex than at first glance.

Eventually, the band followed with what I've come to call the "Tour de France" suite since it combines several tracks from 2003's Tour de France Soundtracks. It continues to be a highlight of Kraftwerk's live performances, with the labored breath of a cyclist forming the backbone of the track. It was followed by "La Forme" off the same album, a rather direct cut stating the necessary markers of having "good form" as an athlete.
Eventually, "The Robots" signaled the encore portion of the evening, even though the band never left the stage. Unlike the Olympia show, there were no actual robots this time around, but the electricity in the room was still there. The declaration of "We are the robots" felt less of a threat and more of an acknowledgment.

Next was "Planet of Visions," a rework of "Expo 2000" from the band's live album Minimum-Maximum. It declared, "Detroit/Germany/We're so electric," acknowledging their shared contributions to electronic music. Kraftwerk then closed the show with a mix of "Boing Boom Tschak," "Techno Pop," and "Musique Non Stop" before each member took a bow and left the stage. And then the house lights came on.

With Hütter now 78 years old, I'm not sure how much longer the world will continue to enjoy seeing Kraftwerk live. But if you've never had the chance to see the German band in the flesh, seriously, what are you waiting for?

Kraftwerk Miami Concert Setlist

- "Numbers"/"Computer World"/"Computer World 2"
- "Home Computer"/"It's More Fun to Compute"
- "Spacelab"
- "Airwaves"
- "Tango"
- "The Man-Machine"
- "Electric Café"
- "Autobahn"
- "Computer Love"
- "The Model"
- "Neon Lights
- "Geiger Counter"
- "Radioactivity"
- "Tour de France"/"Tour de France Étape 3"/"Chrono"/"Tour de France Étape 2"
- "La Forme"
- "Trans-Europe Express"/"Metal on Metal"/"Abzug"
- "The Robots"
- "Planet of Visions"
- "Boing Boom Tschak"/"Techno Pop"/"Musique Non Stop"