by Rojas Oliva, entertainment editor
“Shut Up and Play the Hits” is a 2012 documentary directed by the hip and young Dylan Souther and Will Lovelace. It follows James Murphy during the 48-hour period surrounding the final concert of his band, LCD Soundsystem, in Madison Square Garden before their breakup in 2010. Throughout his three-album discography, the always iconoclastic Murphy exemplified himself as a musical savant and as generally down to earth–a rare combination of self-conscious wit and brilliant thoughtfulness. With the help of his band and record label, DFA, he redefined the tired and jaded “indie” aesthetic of contemporary music and infused a Pitchfork-reading, image-obsessed hipster culture with some much needed earnest dancing. In most circles, LCD Soundsystem is considered one of the most critically acclaimed, influential and passionately-loved bands of the past decade.
Most of “Shut Up” consists of the actual final show in Madison Square with footage that criply presents the gorgeous lighting and aesthetics of LCD Soundsystem. The ever-moving camera does its best to capture the energy but judging by some of the slow-motion pans of the crowd absolutely losing their minds, and shots that look almost religious and inhuman in their eerie beauty, it’s just not the same as seen while sitting on your couch. The members of Arcade Fire even show up to give the documentary it’s name.
Although “Shut Up” is a beautifully shot and edited live performance that will move anyone with a heart, it’s the clips from an extended interview by pop culture writer Chuck Klosterman focus the film on its thematic arc of the inescapable ambivalence that comes with ending anything, and turns the whole film into a powerful meditation on aging, living a meaningful life and the relationship between art, culture and the personality behind it. Underpinning these discussions is the very obliquely and delicately presented pain of a man seriously torn. A wobbly shot near the end of the film finds Murphy, with his back to the camera, crying alone in an isolated storage unit surrounded by all his band’s packed-away gear. It almost feels too tender and personal to watch.
So if you have the lyrics to “All My Friends” tattooed on your arm or if you’ve ever had that moment with “Someone Great,” then”Shut Up” provides as close to a sense of closure and fulfillment as you’ll ever get, but even for those who aren’t familiar with the music, “Shut Up” is a lovely and profoundly engaging experience that will probably lead to a long and serious love affair with the band that made some of the most cathartic and important music of the last decade. There just really shouldn’t be this radio silence.
You can view the trailer for “Shut Up and Play the Hits” below and stream the full documentary on Netflix.
