Kraftwerk to bring 3-D show to Memphis
Pioneering German electronic music group Kraftwerk is coming to Memphis.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Kraftwerk will bring its much acclaimed 3-D tour back to the U.S. this summer. The group confirmed a concert at the Crosstown Theater for July 25. It will mark the band’s first appearance in the Bluff City since 1975.
The show will also serve as a benefit for the nonprofit Crosstown Arts, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
“Kraftwerk’s long-standing interest in Memphis’ musical past, and their desire to perform a benefit show to support Memphis’ present-day music scene, makes for an ideal way to celebrate Crosstown Arts’ first 10 years,” said Christopher Miner, Crosstown Arts’ managing director/co-founder.
“The unprecedented originality of their sound embodies the kind of progressive authenticity that Crosstown Arts was created to help foster. The band’s generosity to perform a benefit show here is beyond inspiring.”
Kraftwerk was founded in Düsseldorf, West Germany, in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. The group made its reputation with its fourth album, 1974’s landmark electronic exploration, “Autobahn.”
The group’s sound and catalog would go on to exert a profound influence on several generations of artists, from David Bowie to Depeche Mode, Kanye West to Wilco. Their music also impacted hip-hop history, with their songs having been sampled by Jay-z, Dr Dre and DJ Shadow, among many others.
In 2014, Kraftwerk earned a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys.
The group also was nominated multiple times for induction into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
The current lineup, led by band cofounder Hütter, features longtime members Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert, Falk Grieffenhagen. The upcoming tour will represent the band’s first in the U.S. since 2016, when it won raves for its stunning multi-media 3-D shows. The group had been scheduled to play Memphis that year, with a show announced at Minglewood Hall, but the date was eventually canceled.
The group’s 2020 North American summer schedule will kick off June 19 in Seattle and conclude Aug. 1 in Montreal. In addition to a stop in Memphis, the 27date trek will also include regional shows in New Orleans (at the Orpheum Theater on July 5), in Nashville (at the Ryman Auditorium on July 24) and in St. Louis (at the Pageant on July 26).
Tickets for Kraftwerk’s show at Crosstown are $50. They will go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. through Eventbrite.com. For more information go to Crosstownarts.org.