Kings of Leon in New Orleans
12 May 2007
Last night I went to see one of the only true rock bands left in music, Kings of Leon. Jacob and I discussed post show about how they’re not trying to meld genres, they’re not using a DJ, they’re not using emo guitar riffs, or singing about how they were made fun of in 3rd grade. It is just rock and roll, and it is awesome.
When I told friends at work I was going to see the Kings of Leon, I was shocked at how few people even knew who they were. Have people forgotten that Jetta commercial with “Molly’s Chambers”? I thought Youth and Young Manhood had gotten some pretty nice pub. Maybe I just have friends who live under rocks. I guess opening for Dylan, Pearl Jam, and U2 isn’t enough for everyone to notice.
We showed up in time for the opener Snowden. I liked the intensity and passion behind their performance, but their music just isn’t my thing. I’m one of those rare people who don’t really like Interpol, and Snowden reminded me of Interpol. The female bassist jumped off everything possible on stage, including the headliners’ equipment. They even had a song with two bass guitars. It seemed like mood music, which was good, but just not my bag.
The Kings came out to a raucous ovation. The crowd was amped. After seeing alt.country type shows get destroyed by jackass crowds (it’s a House of Blues thing), it was great to see a band who would drown all of that out. From the opening chords, I was hooked. I don’t remember seeing a recent picture of them before last night, so when the singer came out and was not a big guy with a beard, I was surprised. They just have this “’70s rock feel”, and I felt I was in ‘Almost Famous’ seeing Stillwater. It all sounded so good, and except for the drunk girl who thought my shoulder was a handrail, the crowd was great too.
They did play two of the songs I knew before last night. They hit “Molly’s Chambers” about halfway through, and then torched the place with “Four Kicks” later in the set. How much more intense can a rock show get? “Four Kicks” was two minutes of cathartic insanity. You know the parts during the Beatles song “A Day in the Life” where all the instruments are going and you think something is going to explode? That’s kind of how “Four Kicks” felt live.
There are a few bands where after you see them live, you either believe the hype, or you don’t. With Kings of Leon, I now definitely believe the hype. Thanks Jacob.
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