The obvious counter to that argument, of course, is that the place was packed. But laying aside the obvious, The German electronic maestro is actually one of the few artists who succeed by lulling the audience. It's true his music isn't set up to give rise to outrageous, high-energy live shows, but it's safe to say that no one who came to see him could have realistically been expecting that. You can't fault the man for being himself. Besides, the big flourishes he was generous enough to throw in were enough to keep plenty of folks in the crowd wide awake – some of them were even moving.

What's more, Schnauss is exactly the kind of artist a venue like the Winter Garden is set up for. Its high glass ceilings and views of the Hudson, dreamily lighting the skyscrapers of Jersey City, loom large in the windows on either side of the stage. Those seated in the house are subject to the occasional obstructed view, but they're behind palms, not pillars. The gigantic screen set up behind the stage, in the absence of anything substantial to look at outside of Schnauss (looking relaxed and comfortable in front of his keyboard-and-laptop setup, jacket draped over the back of his chair), became another instrument, flashing images of carnivals, silhouetted travelers and the autobahn by night: not necessary, ultimately, to enjoy Schnauss's gorgeous, dreamy synthesizer over languid beats, but a welcome touch to a more-or-less static show. These, coupled with outtakes from last year's shoegaze-y Goodbye (as well as the title track from 2003's A Strangely Isolated Place), Schnauss's mighty machines gave rise to cacophonous chorus of blues harmonica and thunder that, after roaring, knocked the shingles right off the roof. Give Schnauss some credit – he knows what he is, but he also knows how to use that to its best effect.

-Claire Shefchik