When Beck opened his sold-out, two-night stand at the Aragon with “Loser,” it was clear Thursday’s show was going to be crowd pleaser. This was my first live Beck experience, so I had no idea what to expect. Well, the alt-rock legend exceeded expectations as he plowed through song after song en route to a 90-minute set that played like a greatest hits album (see setlist below).

But first, opening band MGMT set the table with a quick set showcasing their promise as up-and-comers on the indie scene. Their inclusion on the bill was a major selling point for me.

I caught them a few months ago at Lollapalooza, but since I was about a mile from the stage, it didn’t really count. When they went on at 7:40 p.m., the Aragon was probably only half full, proving that most ticket holders shelled out $50 solely for the headliner. Like their show at Lollapalooza, MGMT brought the most heat with their biggest hits – “Time to Pretend,” “Electric Feel” and “Kids.”

Though they’ve only been around for a few years, MGMT has shown a knack for creating catchy electro-pop songs. Another album or two and this band could soon be playing the Aragon all on their own (it’s kind of hard to believe they played Schuba’s earlier this year).

But this was Beck’s night. Since the mainstream success of “Loser” in 1994, the 38-year-old has consistently wowed critics and fans alike, cementing himself as one of the most creative and influential musicians of our time.

With the release of the underrated Modern Guilt this summer, he now has eight quality albums to pull from. Throughout the night, Beck went deep into the catalog to play some favorites from almost all of the albums (but nothing from Mutations). From “Girl” and “Mixed Bizness” to “Devil’s Haircut” and “Que Onda Guero,” almost every song was a highlight. And the new tunes - "Orphans,” “Chemtrails,” “Gamma Ray” - also proved to be nice additions to Beck's repertoire.

Beck and his backing band slowed things down briefly to play a few acoustic tracks from Sea Change, but then got right back to raging with set closer “Where It’s At.” The band then came back out for a five-song encore that ended with the crowd chanting along to the chorus of show finale, “E-Pro.” I initially had reservations about dropping $50 on the show, but Beck left me with no regrets and a desire to catch him again next time around. Perhaps the show of the year for me.

Here's a setlist, courtesy of Greg Kot's Turn It Up blog:

1. Loser
2. Nausea
3. Girl
4. Timebomb
5. Minus
6. Mixed Bizness
7. Nicotine and Gravy
8. Que Onda Guero
9. Hell Yes
10. Black Tambourine
11. Devil’s Haircut
12. Soul of a Man
13. Orphans
14. Think I’m In Love
15. Walls
16. Missing
17. Chemtrails
18. The Golden Age
19. Lost Cause
20. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow (Hank Williams cover)
21. Where It’s At

Encore

22. Gamma Ray
23. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Bob Dylan cover)
24. Novacane
25. Profanity Prayers
26. E-Pro

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