‘KRAFTWERK 3-D’
The pioneering German group Kraftwerk didn’t single-handedly create electronica, techno and ambient music in the 1970s, but it was pivotal in laying the foundation for all three. The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees also had a major impact that decade on the Detroit-bred house-music movement. Founded in the German city of Düsseldorf in 1968, Kraftwerk was the brainchild of Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. They worked in relative obscurity until their 1974 album and its title track, “Autobahn” (the German word for freeway), became international hits. Kraftwerk’s music helped lay the foundation not only for house and techno, but also for synth-pop, hip-hop, electro-pop, dub-step and more. The group’s synthesizer- and computer-fueled music influenced everyone from David Bowie and Kanye West to Depeche Mode and Daft Punk. Following the 2020 death of Schneider, co-founder Hütter is the only original member in Kraftwerk. Now on a tour postponed several times since 2020 because of the pandemic, Kraftwerk combines music that now sounds quaintly futuristic with a visually striking stage show. 8 p.m. Sunday. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave, downtown. $39.50-$76. ticketmaster.com