review & photos: Outside Lands: Day 2

15 August 2010 (Sunday)
San Francisco, CA
(day 1 reviewed HERE)


The Devil Makes Three
Wow, these guys sure could get a California crowd square dancing. I hadn’t seen the likes of this since the third grade and learning about the Oregon Trail. With a rose painted on an acoustic guitar, could you expect anything short of heartfelt Americana? The Santa Cruz band is a simple three piece, and their delivery is basic while simultaneously accentuating their strengths. They really hit home with “Help Yourself”, as Pete Bernhard sang with lighthearted exuberance: “I done some bad things but I like to have my fun.”







Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
With an abundance of Near Eastern clothing and an aesthetic that could only be described as psychedelically inspired, lead singer Alex Ebert was espousing George Harrison vibes like no other. Before the first song even commenced, Ebert jumped down in a sprightly manner and dove right into the crowd. When he finally made it back to the stage, he was dancing as if he were trying to shake bugs off of his legs. Never ceasing to monkey around, he and female counterpart Jade Castrinos (who, for the record, had some impressive pipes) tried to summon the sun to the dreary San Francisco sky. The duo were grinning, harmonizing, and radiated an infectiously giddy energy. The band brings to mind 50’s style rockability, as the communal dancing, singing and frolic gave way to American Bandstand type submission to primal instincts. Whereas the music is not inherently spectacular, what makes ED&tMZ an act that is hard to forget is their matchless delivery. Ebert’s vocal style seemed to be inspired by the likes of James Brown. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros is composed of eleven members who inspire, rather than awe. The only worries I have for this band come in terms of longevity: how long can this remain fresh?










Al Green
Covering the Temptations and howling delightfully on the main Lands End stage, Al Green and his fantastic backing band proved that soul, more than any other genre, is timeless. He slyly interjected that he was singing all of these love songs with no hopes of getting a special lady and therefore encouraged the crowd to grab a hold of a lover. The horns soared, Al danced and absolutely everyone in the audience had a grin on their face.




Phoenix
Oh, Phoenix. Why must you embody everything I love about indie rock, from the constant obsession with perfection in tone to the unshakable humbleness of leading man Thomas Mars? I don’t think our French boys could deliver a disappointing set if they tried, they are just programmed for excellence. The highlights of the set included the strange, decelerated version of “Rally” and the explosive closer, “1901”, complete with Thomas Mars crowd surfing during the reprise. During the set, Mars seemed to be overflowing with nervous energy and climbed atop everything including the speakers to his right. Edward Sharpe may have showmanship, but Phoenix have staying power. Their music has so much substance, and their impeccable sets will surely be relayed by fans to generations of forthcoming grandchildren.












Social Distortion
One of the few disappointments of the weekend, Social D were diametrically opposed to The Strokes: although the California punk outfit have a new album coming out in November, their set left me thinking “why do these guys even bother?” They were desperately trying to cling onto the times of past, but failing utterly, down to the tastelessly over-propped stage. They rendered a mediocre version of the Cash classic “Ring of Fire” and even failed to strike a chord with “Ball and Chain”. Unfortunately, some bands should only be reachable through well-worn records and trips down memory lane, not in the live concert setting.





Kings of Leon
The band opened up with “Closer”, and I almost thought that they had replaced their bass player, because Jared looks a hell of a lot older than what I remembered. From the first few moments, seeing Nathan pound away made my heart ache for Kings of Leon, whom I had forsaken because of how far they’ve strayed from their badass origins. I had originally planned on watching their whole set, but after hearing them butcher “My Party” (which is a relatively new song, pretty detached from their first two albums), I couldn’t stick around. How they managed to water down a track from Because of the Times, I don’t know. It’s so unfortunate to see such a talented band piss away their potential by delivering half-assed, mom-approved rock, but what pained me the most was seeing Nathan—the lone remaining good element of the band—drumming in the background as if nothing had changed. They aren’t trying to go back to their roots at all, they’re milking this corporate bullshit for all its worth. I, for one, refuse to be a part of this nonsense.

Kings of Leon are NOT recording with Leona Lewis

they have dispelled this rumour, reports NME.
no, they're too busy with far more legit shit. like launching an overpriced clothing collection.

it's official. they have sold out. I will no longer defend them or deny these claims.

this is where we part ways. we'll always have Youth and Aha. *wipes away tear*

this depresses me beyond reason

compare:

NOW

vs

THEN

the new album is decent on its own merit, but comparatively to their roots, it's just awful. now excuse me while I go cry and listen to Cage the Elephant instead. if they go stadium rock in a few years, I will kill myself.

Kings of Leon to play Conan tonight

hm, I wonder which album they'll play from. not. what bugs me about Only by the Night isn't the album itself but the fact that nobody even knows about their old work. tis a shame they never play their old stuff anymore. Youth and Young Manhood is sheer perfection. sigh.

Kings of Leon - Genius [mp3]

new Kings of Leon video: Notion

Kings Of Leon - Notion


I kind of prefer THIS VIDEO but I am completely and unabashedly biased.

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

photos:





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

set list:


photos: