On Sunday, 16 March 2025, legendary German electronic band Kraftwerk brought their Multimedia Tour 2025, celebrating 50 Years of their groundbreaking fourth album, Autobahn, to a packed crowd at The Anthem located on The Wharf in Washington, DC.
The party started early with fans lining up well before doors opened at 6:30 pm, with the queue wrapping around the block. Fans piled in, and bought merchandise, and took their seats. The show started at 8:00 pm sharp, with synths, drum machines, and laser lights taking this small community on an otherworldly adventure to the synth-dimension. The band wrapped up their two-hour set at 10:00 pm.
The band was celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of their fourth album, Autobahn, which released in November 1974, and Autobahn made it onto the set-list with Kraftwerk’s recognizable scenic visual. This album is important as it marks the group’s shift from experimental krautrock to an electronic pop sound that is dominated by synthesizers and drum machines. Kraftwerk’s distinct minimalist electronic sound, lyrics about technology and the human condition, and their distinct visual aesthetic laid the foundation for many synthpunk, post-punk, new wave, and industrial artists that followed them down their cultural Autobahn.
The audience went wild to these songs as they escaped the grind of life in the nation’s capital. The band left the stage one by one and as they each received a heartfelt standing ovation at the of the night.
- Here are the songs featured in this night’s setlist:
- “Numbers / Computerworld”
- “Home Computer”
- “Spacelab”
- “Airwaves”
- “Tango”
- “The Man Machine”
- “Electric Cafe”
- “Autobahn”
- “Computer Love”
- “The Model ”
- “Neon Lights”
- “Radioactivity”
- “Tour De France”
- “La Forme”
- “Vitamin”
- “Trans-Europe Express”
- Encore:
- “The Robots”
- “Planet of Visions”
- “Boing Boom Tschak”
This was a night to remember. Don’t miss your chance to take a trip on the Autobahn with Kraftwerk!!!
