LIVE REVIEW: Kraftwerk in Boston, MA (03.11.25)
The Wang Theatre, a historic century-old venue with its red plush and gilded decor, served as a reverent backdrop for electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk to celebrate five decades of music. Kraftwerk’s nearly sold-out Boston show was the fifth date on a 32-date North American tour. On a friend’s Facebook post about the Kraftwerk show, someone asked if the band “just stood there” the whole time. The answer is yes, but it’s not what you think it would be like. Do most musicians actually move around at shows? Musicians remain mostly static at many shows, and little else is happening. They don’t even talk between songs. A Kraftwerk concert is a special event. It’s immersive, intense, dramatic, exhilarating, and a definite vibe that must be experienced if possible. It’s a nonstop aural and visual treat for the audience.
The Kraftwerk Multimedia Tour 2025 celebrates the 50th anniversary of their fourth album, Autobahn, which was released in 1974 when I was just five years old. Not surprisingly, the majority of concert-goers at the Boch Wang Center were from Generation X and the Baby Boomer generation, although I also spotted some young goths and punks throughout the venue. In the early 1970s, Kraftwerk played a crucial role in West Germany’s krautrock scene. They are pioneers of electronic and experimental music, having utilized synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders from the start. Their influence can be seen in the works of Depeche Mode, OMD, Underworld, Gary Numan, Ultravox, and others. They’ve released 11 studio albums. In 2014, Kraftwerk received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2021, Kraftwerk was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the early influence category. Raif Hutter is the only original member.
Whether zeros and ones on “Computerworld,” the black and white vintage race footage on “Tour de France,” or the Star Trek-esque dashboard on “Spacelab,” their graphics and video remain on point and visually stimulating. The visuals enhance the experience, especially as Kraftwerk’s music lends itself to the dramatic, the cinematic, and the imagination. Onstage, the band members wear jumpsuits outfitted with criss-cross grids illuminating various colors–red, blue, purple, and green. The nearly sold-out crowd remained rapt and enthusiastic throughout the two-hour show, fully immersed in the visual and aural spectacle. It was a seated show, and a handful of people in the front stood up to dance during the encore.
During the hypnotic and soothing “Spacelab,” there’s a charming touch where we see a pinpoint on a map of the United States, then Massachusetts, then the Boston skyline, and then we see the Wang Center awning pictured. A true “You are Here” moment. I don’t speak German, but I love listening to songs that are sung in German. Sometimes, they also sing in French. On “Airwaves,” they display some of the words of the song, like schwellen (to rise), ferne (distance), and singen (to sing) in block letters.
On “Machine,” anchored in heavy undertones and bass like one equates with machinery, there’s a swiveling red square and then in bold block letters MACHINE, MAN, HUMAN, BEING, and then the same words in German. On the exquisite and grooving “La Forme,” we see words on the screen like inspiration, ventilation, rotation, flexion, regeneration, relaxation, and hydration. “Computer Love” has airwaves and lyrics: “I don’t know what to do/ I need a rendezvous.” If it sounded familiar (I know I was singing lyrics in my head but couldn’t quite place the band/song title), it’s because Coldplay sampled the song in “Talk” on their third album, X & Y.
“Autobahn” features a roving, expansive melody with imagery of a classic VW Bug and a Mercedes driving on the highway. At times, it looked like Kraftwerk was atop the dashboard of a car. Both cars have KR-74 plates. With a comic book-looking sketched train, “Trans-Europe Express” was a favorite of mine. It has an expansive melody and solid, steady beat, enabling us to envision train travel opportunities throughout Europe. Another amazing one was “The Robots” during the encore– buoyed by its dance techno beat and industrial rhythms and the lyrics: “We’re charging our batteries/ we are the robots/ we are dancing mechanic/ we are programmed just to do.” On-screen, the band members become life size robots.
Featured image by: Amy Steele
