LCD Soundsystem performing in San Francisco at the Warfield on August 21, 2022.

On Sunday night at the Warfield, LCD Soundsystem kicked off their four-night San Francisco residency with the tin-can snare drum rhythms of “Get Innocuous,” while ringleader James Murphy tapped along on timbales between sips of wine. 

They played the intro to Kraftwerk’s “Radioactivity” before a massive sing-along of “I Can Change,” and ripped into the lead synth line of “Da Funk” during “Losing My Edge” as Murphy ranted about being the first guy to play Daft Punk to the rock kids at CBGB’s.

If there’s one song that could be the lowest common denominator of the LCD Soundsystem catalog, it’s “Losing My Edge.” You could call it the Rosetta Stone of the DFA Records sound, a sardonic, fuzzed-out stomper from 2002 where Murphy sings as if he were a Kilroy-esque rock and roll time traveler. He “was there” at the first Can show in Cologne, the first Suicide practices in a loft in New York City and a dozen other pivotal musical moments.

At the Warfield, the song sounded triumphant. Spotlights exploded on a Death Star-sized disco ball as Murphy conducted a museum’s worth of synthesizers and a battalion of auxiliary percussion. Most of the night featured an eight-person lineup, with longtime collaborators Pat Mahoney and Nancy Whang receiving loving shout-outs throughout. 

I was there at the first night of their San Francisco residency, and I’m very glad I was, but I could’ve easily skipped it. Because I was there in 2003, when “DFA Compilation, Vol. 1” topped the college radio charts and when “Sound of Silver” made everyone realize these indie sleaze wisecrackers could write a song that makes you cry. I was there at several James Murphy DJ sets of varying quality, and I was there when the band retired and unretired and released a record I didn’t like that much and retired again.

Like many music nerds my age, I’ve filed LCD Soundsystem away as a formative band that I don’t listen to often anymore. I’ve seen them live, and I didn’t particularly think I needed to again. 

But if the lyrics to these songs are burned into your brain, like they are mine, you will have a very fun time at one of the next three shows. You’ll be in good company of a city’s worth of cool dads wearing their finest threadbare Prince, Dinosaur Jr. and Archers of Loaf T-shirts. A man my age screamed in excitement at the pounding drum intro of “Time to Get Away,” and his friend told him he was so old. Then, he motioned towards the stage and said, “So are they.” 

Brings me back to the old house party days when everyone’s PA was at my house pic.twitter.com/72g9GAVkA1

But next to all the aging dudes (there were so, so many dudes) stood Gen Z goth girls who were barely alive for early hits like “Yr City’s a Sucker,” which still sounds seething 16 years later. They might have missed the Joy Division cover of “No Love Lost,” a B-side to the 2007 “All My Friends” single. In their defense, so did I, but the kids coming up from behind knew every word to “Other Voice,” the only song the band played off of their latest album “American Dream.”

I’ve heard these songs a million times, but I hadn’t heard them like this. Murphy has always been the band’s figurehead, and he’s an engaging performer, crooning on his tippy-toes in a pair of potentially ironic black cargo pants. The persona is so commanding that it can be easy to forget that LCD Soundsystem is a band and not just one man.

James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem performs live at O2 Academy Brixton on June 29, 2022 in London, England.

The rest of the band was what made it worth the price of admission (a few hours before show time, tickets were on Stubhub for just $35). The live arrangements on these songs are scorching hot, and every player onstage knows it. The mix of swagger, concentration and sonic intricacy was just plain stunning. It reminded me that however jaded I might be about the “Black Album”-style un-retirement, there aren't many better electronic rock bands in the world right now. If the set ists from the four Oakland shows at the Fox last week are any indication, they’re also switching up the program each night, which makes it even more impressive.

Despite the sarcastic winks and the-jokes-on-you punchlines in his lyrics, Murphy was an understated emcee, thanking the crowd, his band and the warm-up DJ (Eug from Public Release Records, who hosted Murphy for an unannounced DJ set at Bar Part Time). He even shouted out the security guards. But in perhaps the most James Murphy Moment of the whole show, he couldn’t keep from delivering the type of observational comedy bit that almost landed him a job writing for “Seinfeld.”

A couple songs before an extended intermission, Murphy gave a deadpan explanation that the band would leave the stage for a few minutes, which bands do sometimes before they play more songs, but the crowd didn’t need to clap and scream for an encore. He assured us that the band would come back. 

It was fitting banter because, throughout the long arc of the band, they always seem to re-emerge at just the right moment. And after this residency, if they do come back to San Francisco, I’ll be there.

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Dan Gentile is the culture editor at SFGATE. He moved to San Francisco from Austin, TX where he worked as a vinyl DJ and freelance writer covering food and music. His writing has been featured in Texas Monthly, American Way, Rolling Stone, Roads & Kingdoms, VICE, Thrillist and more. Email: Dan.Gentile@sfgate.com.