concert review: The Walkmen and Kings of Leon @ Bill Graham Civic 21 May 2009

Kings of Leon played a sold out Bill Graham Civic last Thursday night and boy oh boy what an epic night of music it was. Having finished finals and turned in my thesis, I had nothing better to do than plop myself down outside the venue at around 1:30 in the afternoon (after sleeping in, taking a shower, grabbing a bite to eat and picking up something to read at Half Price Books), among 8 or 9 other fans who were as adamant as I was to be at the front of the massive venue.

The night commenced with a NY band that I quite like called The Walkmen, whose live show was nothing less than perfect. They shook up the stage with a powerful set led primarily by drummer Matt Barrick and lead singer Hamilton Leithauser. When I went back to listen to their recorded stuff after the show, it didn’t resonate as much (kind of like Born Ruffians). There is something about The Walkmen’s songs that cannot be captured in studio, and that is half a blessing and half a curse. Regardless, I will definitely be checking them out when they come back to the Bay Area, and I recommend that you all do the same. Seriously, just watch the following video and you’ll understand:



4/5

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Everyone has gone on and on about how much Kings of Leon have changed; this is something which I couldn’t fully grasp until I saw their much changed live set last week. While anybody could see a vast discrepancy between Youth and Young Manhood and Only By the Night, I had received the change in sound as more gradual, as Because of the Times was slower and more reflective than either their debut or Aha Shake Heartbreak.

While the boys only played ONE song off of my beloved Youth and Young Manhood (“Molly’s Chambers”; the stubborn bastards would not acquiesce to my constant pleas for “Red Morning Light”), they surprised me by including a bunch of songs off of Aha Shake Heartbreak. But the way that they relayed all of the songs, including the ones off of their second album, was much more subdued, and had much less rock n roll swagger as old Kings of Leon.

It seems as though they really have cleaned up their act for good, something which I don't want to admit that I can actually appreciate. The boys are no longer boys: they're men. Most of them are in committed relationships, and they've matured into a sound that is far removed from their wonderfully carefree Youth, yet that isn't a bad thing. Evolution is just that. If they continued making songs with messy guitars and drunken choruses, people would eventually snub them as a one note act.

Kings of Leon are a rare example of a band who knows exactly how to progress as time goes by. But anyhow, back to their live show; I need to state this explicitly: just because their set wasn't what I was expecting, it still was perfect in every way imaginable. My one complaint (other than the inadequate amount of songs from their debut) would be that Matthew's guitar was turned down during most of the set, and you could barely even hear it during the iconic riff in "Sex on Fire". Regardless, all four Followills played their hearts out, and Caleb's voice was as pure and powerful as ever. Chills were abundant, and those of us in the front row were singing along to each and every one of their twenty one songs. Kings of Leon remain humble as ever, recognizing how lucky they are to be where they are. Caleb thanked the crowd for supporting the band and for spending money on a ticket in these tough economic times. That's another incredible thing about Kings of Leon: they have kept level heads throughout all of this fame and glory. They also miraculously managed to keep the massive show sounding intimate, and I will be watching the videos of the show on YOUTUBE indefinitely, reliving the glorious night.

While I still insist that the Kings’ increased “fanbase” doesn’t correlate with selling out, it did bother me that the two different people whom I spoke to on the train back home both had bought scalper tickets for more than a hundred dollars, and they weren’t even fans of the band: they had gone on their friends’ requests. But whatever, douchebags will be douchebags; if it means that one of my favourite bands is finally getting the attention that they deserve, I am not complaining.



4.5/5

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