Review: Kings of Leon

 
Photo by Rich Sugg/The Star. For a slide-show of  photos from the Kings of Leon show, go here.

Not too many bands make the big, fast leap that the Kings of Leon made within the past nine months: from midtown to downtown. In late January, the Southern rock/blues band from Tennessee drew a sold-out crowd of 2,300 to the Uptown Theater. Tuesday night, they drew nearly 11,000 fans to the Sprint Center.

The jump from a club or theater to an arena is a large one, especially within a calendar year, and that leap is both physical and psychological. Tuesday night, the Kings were singing to fans up in the second level of the arena. All that space and distance can devour some bands, especially those, like the Kings, who have spent more than six years doing the bar-band scene. It can also alienate long-time fans who are used to being among more modest and intimate crowds, like the 800 or so who caught the band at the Beaumont Club in the winter of 2005.

So when this headlining arena tour was announced months ago, two questions arose: How many fans would show up? And how would the band sound? The answers: a lot; and good.

The sound in the Sprint Center was fine, at least from the floor (which was GA) by the soundboard. Granted, they weren't mixing Radiohead or a small orchestra like the E Street Band, but the mix seemed satisfactory, as if we were back in the Uptown in January. Even through Caleb Followill's backwoods drawl, the vocals were clean most of the night.

On the list of dynamic arena bands, Kings of Leon aren't going to appear in the Top 20. For one thing, they don't have the stage show or personaes. They did have a nice video rig above them: an inverted pyramid that comprised two levels of lights topped by a row of video monitors that could project live or recorded images as one large screen or multiple images in as many as eight.

That was about it for visuals. Followill paused twice to give the crowd a man-hug and a thanks for making his and the band's lives so good. Other than that the boys were all business and not much charisma, mowing through 20 songs in 90 minutes or so. (Maybe that's because the three brothers and a cousin don't like each other much.)

They play shaggy blues-rock that's steeped in their Southern heritage, so it bears some gospel and soul accents. The music doesn't vary dramatically from one song to the next. The tempo changes, from slow-burn numbers like "I Want You" to  more riotous gutbucket blues, as in "Charmer," but the songs are rendered in similar hues and light -- lots of shadows and deep, heavy grays.  

So the mood in the arena didn't change drastically either. It boiled over twice: for "Sex on Fire" and then "Use Somebody,"  the band's recent (well, only) radio hits. Both songs ignited heavy singing-along throughout the arena and dancing all the way up in the upper-levels, among folks with their backs to the walls.

This crowd of primarily adults from 20 to 50 and beyond was familiar with nearly everything on the set list, going back to "Molly's Chambers," off the "Youth and Manhood" album, now six years old. Although the volcanic outbursts were few, the buzz in the room didn't drop below a heavy simmer all night, even during lesser-known tracks (like the one that followed "I Want  You").

Having proved they have the stature to headline hockey and basketball arenas, the Kings of Leon now face the more unpredictable and formidable task of trying to maintain it, which prompts another question: Where will we see them next time they're in town?

White Lies:These Londoners blend standard Brit-rock with '80s dance-rock ingredients. The formula worked on the several thousand who arrived in time to catch most of its 45-minute set, including two of the band's better songs: "End of the World" and "Death."

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Kings of Leon setlist: Crawl; Be Somebody; Taper Jean Girl; Molly's Chamber; Fans; Revelry; I Want You; My Party; Charmer; Four Kicks; The Bucket; Sex on Fire; Notion; Manhattan; On Call; Cold Desert; Slow Night. Encore: Knocked Up; Use Somebody; Black Thumbnail.  

Comments

[sad]

you're losing "it", and it is sad to see/read
: (

[pc]

They may have been playing clubs in the US the past few years, but KOL have been playing big venues in Europe almost from the beginning.

[Steph]

ummm "My Party" followed "I Want You" and seriously, not your greatest review.

[mothman]

Very good show last night. Better than the Uptown show, where despite maybe being the see and be seen show of the year, I thought the sound was a bit muffled and the setlist was poorly chosen. The production was cool with the smaller, un obnoxious vid screen; KOL filled the place nicely, both with sound and people. IMO, top three "see and be seen" shows of the year have been KOL at Uptown, NINJA at Starlight and Coldplay at Sprint Center.

[Dufus]

Concise and accurate Tim. I think the Uptown show was an anomaly in the schedule or one of the final small venues. They were playing the Boston College B'Ball arena in April. Whether they were playing for 800 or 8000 they are just not that comfortable on stage. It is work for Followill to engage the crowd.

"Hope you guys don't mind if we get a little drunk with you....I'm not promising perfection"

Ok, so those 2 shots have you totally wasted AND you're telling me that my $55 isn't worth the effort for perfection.

They sounded fine and I don't think they got drunk. Poser rock star schtick.

[Nivek9]

Didn't even cross my mind to go to the KOL show although I'm sure it was fine. I opted for Radio Moscow at Czar Bar ($5) - talk about getting your money's worth, WOW. A few folks trickled in after the KOL show and were no doubt pleasantly surprised. The evening was a bit chaotic, a broken bass string and a broken guitar string held things up briefly after a late start but well worth the late night. Tim's review was fine, informative and concise. They can't all be pulitzer caliber. :-)

[JJ]

I thought the sound was better than usual for the sprint center. KOL played their songs well and the crowd was mostly engaged. But they are not a very animated band and do not seem very comfortable as entertainers. Billy Joe Armstrong (or 60 yr old Bruce Springsteen for that matter) expends more energy in the first 10 minutes of a concert than this band does in 90 minutes. But that's ok as long as the music is good. It was.

[jake]

Great show. Thanks Tim for the review. I was one of the lucky souls to have seen KOL the first time they came to KC at the Beaumont. I was instantly a fan. That first show was raw, unpolished...in a wonderful way. It was far better than the show at Voodoo Lounge. The Uptown gig was great...and I certainly prefer the more intimate setting (over Sprint Center). KOL definitely lacks charisma on stage...as they're basically shoe-gazers. So, I was worried the arena would just swallow them up. But, the production was outstanding...other than the fact that the volume level was too low. It appeared they cranked it up about halfway through the show...which is odd. The video wall was fantastic...and is critical for a band like this in a big arena. Caleb needs to loosen up a bit and engage the audience a bit more. And, they need to do a better job w/ their setlists. How can you leave out "Pistol of Fire"...or "Holy Roller Novacaine" or "Red Morning Light"??? They could have easily left out Charmer and Four Kicks. Even "My Party" doesn't stack up w/ those other songs. In the end...it doesn't matter though. I love these guys and will support them regardless. Thanks again Tim!

[NEW]

I thought it was a fine review as well. Sorry I missed the show. As for Nivek9s comment, the Radio Moscow show sound interesting although I'm not sure why a couple of broken strings would cause any choas. As a musician friend of mine puts it, if you are taking more than 60 seconds to change a string, you have no business playing on stage.

[joeboo]

I'm glad they didn't leave out "Four Kicks", that's one of my favorites and the epitome of the KoL sound from their first two albums that they've moved away from on their last two albums. I was pleasantly suprised that they fit in as many songs as they did from the first 2 albums(particularly Aha Shake Heartbreak), I was afraid that with their newfound popularity (thanks to the more mainstream last 2 albums) they would use that material for the vast majority of their show.

I'm hoping for the sake of all KoL fans (new and old) that we see them get back to their roots of a raw punkish southern rock sound. Way too many ballads and mellow songs on their recent recordings for my liking, but it is good to see that they still have the fire and energy in their live show. Gives me hope that maybe it'll still be there again in the studio at some point down the road.

[indie snob]

i had not heard so much as ten seconds of this band's music, so i figured i would check it out. i just watched the video for "sex on fire" on youtube. at first it sounded like a limp version of kenny loggins' "danger zone" from the "top gun" soundtrack, which is pretty awesome, but then the band had to go and shoot themselves in the foot by trying to look/sound sexy or seductive.

not as bad as creed, though.

[indie snob]

^ just to clarify, "danger zone" is awesome, not KoL.

[Nivek9]

@ NEW - Regarding the Radio Moscow show - The bass string took a little long to change but the brief chaos was when the guitar string broke. They tried to take that opportunity to end the show, but we didn't let them and waited. And yes, it took him about a minute to be back up and tuning it up. Chaos was probably the wrong word. I fired up a Radio Moscow radio station on Pandora this morning and the fourth song to show up was Knocked Up by KOL. Interesting.....

[foreal]

Jesus; theres one after every show. The guy that won't pay to see a great act but "you shoudve seen hipband at little bar for $6." You sound like a commercial. And you probably would call KOL a sellout right? Irony.

[indie snob]

"What a night for a dance,
you know, i'm a dancing machine
put the fire in my bones
with the sweet taste of kerosene"

HELL YEAH

[JoyB]

Just exactly what is it that you expected from a music concert. I was not there for charisma I came for the love of their music and definitely got my monies worth and more. To me the show was everything I wanted it to be. I don't need to have them talk to me or even interact I just need to hear their incredible talent and as far as I am concerned they were definitely incredible.

[Steph]

Totally agree with JoyB ^

[Nivek9]

No foreal that ain't me. I like KOL, a lot. I just don't like to spend that much to see a show is all. I heard Radio Moscow on the radio and found they were coming to town on the cheap so took a chance. It wasn't a polished performance but quite good. I felt others might be interested in this thread because they would appeal to KOL fans I think. I would have liked to see KOL but just didn't have the funds at the time. But I'm glad I could give you the opportunity to vent. Feel better now? Oh, and it was $5 not $6.

[Scott]

Maybe the guy that saw the hipband for 6 dollars cant afford the great act for 45 dollars. I kinda like the chatter, I just listened to a couple songs by Radio Moscow and its not bad. The music has that 60's rock and roll sound, kinda reminds me of Wolfmother. Good find Nivek9, wish I had caught this show, seems like these guys would be a hit live!

[JM]

I thought this review made the concert sound boring and mediocre. No enthusiasm what so ever. Totally not the case, give them a little more credit! Not to mention that most KOL fans don't come to see special effects or fancy sets. We come to hear the music (which was great)!

[NEW]

I'll check them out. Thanks Nivek.

[foreal]

I know it was $5, I also know their name wasn't hipband, that was hypothetical. Fair enough on the rest.

[andrew]

I'll bet a large number of fans out of the 11,000 have barely even heard anything off "Youth & Young Manhood," if at all. They were probably there to hear the radio hits and were confused as hell the rest of the time.

[championship]

I thought the show was a disappointment. There's something about them in that bigger setting that doesn't seem right. Even though they can sell 11,000 tickets, the show loses its charm in places that big. There's a detachment. I agree with joeboo that they need to get back to the original KoL style and chill out with the baby U2 stuff. Some of the guitar on their new stuff sounds too much like The Edge.

[MBTGTC]

Thanks all, I enjoy everyones opinion on their experience. I keep it simple to great music and enjoying the concert environment. Long side note: Did anyone catch at the end of the show some random girl pass her phone number to a roadie and he gave her all the setlists and at least 10 drumsticks? OK thats fine. So there were maybe 10 people up there and of course I ask nicely if she would hook one up for a fellow fan. She said "What the f**k have you ever done for me". Wow, thats a new low. I was once at a Deftones show and the girl in front of me caught a stick then broke it in half and handed it to me without me asking at all. Coolest thing ever. So to you drunk sl*tty girl, take a lesson from true fans like that.

[Martin]

Kings of Leon mail it in for every show. You have bands like Wilco playing 28 songs for $31.00 and KOL playing for 90 minutes after how many albums...Then you see them play their Europe concerts and they rock out. Lame. They play to the city.

[H]

I thought the show was good. If I want to see a show where the frontman engages the audience I'll go see the Flaming Lips. I've seen Dylan several times and haven't heard him speak to the audience once. I'm OK with that. I like KOL for their sound, groove and humble approach.

[Wholesale Jerseys]

I agree with your Blog and I will be back to check it more in the future so please keep up your work. I love your content & the way that you write. It looks like you have been doing this for a while now, how long have you been blogging for?