The band kicked off their set with a series of crowd-pleasers, exploding into the set with the raucous ‘Losing My Edge’. The band served up its joyous hit ‘I can Change’ early on, with the song’s distinctive whirling introduction being met with thunderous cheers.

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The night took an emotional turn when Murphy addressed the crowd before performing ‘Someone Great’. “Yesterday, we lost a very dear friend of ours, Justin Chearno. We’re all fucking destroyed. We’re trying our best. We love him and miss him. This sucks. Thank you for being here and being a part of it,” Murphy said. Chearno, a co-founding partner with Murphy of the Michelin-starred restaurant and wine bar ‘The Four Horsemen’ in Brooklyn, New York, passed away this week, and the band’s grief shone through the performance and provided a poignant subtext to the many of Murphy’s songs that deal with issues of loss.

Later in the set Murphy embraced keyboardist Nancy Whang during the closing of ‘Dance Yrself Clean’, before dedicating a heartfelt rendition of ‘New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down’ to Chearno, which met a rapturous reception from the crowd.

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Since their founding in Brooklyn in 2002 by Murphy, LCD Soundsystem have become a leading influence in the garage, indie, and electronic genres.  Their debut single, “Losing My Edge,” released in 2002, became an underground hit, setting the stage for their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album in 2005. This album earned them a Grammy nomination and solidified their place in the music industry. Their follow-up albums, Sound of Silver (2007) and This Is Happening (2010), further cemented their status, with the latter becoming their first top-ten album in the U.S. Despite a brief disbandment in 2011, LCD Soundsystem reunited in 2015 and released “American Dream” in 2017, which debuted at number one on the US charts.

Against the backdrop of grief, the band’s penchant for capturing the wistful and the bittersweet in their songs came into sharp focus. Finishing the set with the fan-favourite, eternally-escalating ‘All My Friends’, the tender and vulnerable notes of Murphy’s lyricism had perhaps never been more fitting. Despite the underlying sorrow, though, LCD Soundsystem proved they have lost none of their sonic might, as the performance proved a showcase of the band’s enduring appeal and their ability to connect with fans with a combination of visceral dance floor energy and emotional incisiveness that few artists have managed.

All Points East will be taking place across two weekends in August 2024. Announced today, the supporting acts for the festival’s rock-centric Sunday show will include Portland’s, The Decemberists, and Washington’s Sleater Kinney. Off the back of their eleventh studio album, released this year, Sleater Kinney’s female duo will be bringing their soft rock tunes in support of The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie.

In addition to the rock show on Sunday, the festival has already revealed that the event on August 17th will primarily feature rap music, with British rapper Benjamin Coyle-Larner, better known as Loyle Carner, taking the spotlight as the headliner for the Saturday show. Joining Carner on the same day will be legendary hip-hop artist Nas. A familiar name to all hip-hop heads, Nas is best known for his debut album Illmatic.

1994’s Illmatic has proven to be one of the most influential hip-hop projects of the last 30 years, featuring vocals and production from A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-tip and rap pioneer Pete Rock. Since Illmatic, Nas has been at the forefront of hip-hop’s progression, working with some of the music industry’s biggest names including Mobb Deep, Jay-Z, and Amy Winehouse. The 50-year-old artist has a long list of credits across the media landscape, from multiple films and albums to a feature on the PlayStation 2 classic, Tony Hawk’s Underground, Nas has left a significant imprint on hip-hop culture.

All Points East’s second weekend, beginning August 23rd will see American rock band LCD Soundsystem headline the Friday night. Among those playing on Friday 23rd will be British DJ and producer Floating Points and former outsider artist Jai Paul.

After releasing his demo BTSTU on Myspace in 2007, Jai Paul received considerable attention from the UK music press. In 2019, Paul’s first, and only full album was officially released, despite its unofficial leak occurring six years prior. Jai Paul has had an irregular and sparce musical output, having taken several hiatuses in between his releases. Last year’s Coachella festival saw Paul’s first live performance. His set at All Points East is currently Paul’s only booking for 2024, and with his skittish reputation, it is unclear when the next will be.

Although the double weekend event has only announced a select few acts, more artists will be added to the list in due time. Tickets for August 17th, 23rd, and 25th are currently on sale and can be purchased here.