Saturday night, no big plans, but you hear about a concert at the Midland that sounds piques your interest. It's only $14 and it's the Midland, so it must be a good show. Well, yes and no. Worth $14, sure, but it could have been better. The crowd definitely seemed to think so, or they just did not know how to have a good time. Either way, the massive venue enjoyed a mix of good and not-so-good songs, with a bored, possibly confused crowd of hipsters-gone-preppy...prepsters.
The Kills are a garage rock band that's finally made it big. Catchy guitar riffs and hooks, and compelling lyrics come together to make almost timeless hits, like classic rock hits that came out of a time capsule. But sometimes the minimalist use of a single guitar leaves songs feeling empty. And sometimes the lyrics aren't quite reminiscent of classic rock, but just plain cliche.
The addition of two drummers for the second half of the bands' set brought out the rhythm-heavy power of The Kills, but the matching outfits and choreographed motions of the twin drummers was slightly baffling and gimmicky. Still, when singer Alison Mosshart took up a third drum set, the final few songs of the set were quite moving.
The Kills saved their best pieces for the finale and should have had the entire Midland swinging and nodding to the beats, but a confused crowd of popped collars and plaid shirts seemed bent on looking too cool to have fun, leaving the venue feeling bored despite the great ending to the show.
Perhaps the crowd just wasn't aware of their own catatonic state, because at least when the band took their first bows, the crowd roared with cheers, bringing about an immediate encore of multiple songs that left the Midland satisfied.
For a completely random first-time experience seeing a band at a major venue, The Kills were fairly satisfying, but they deserve a better crowd and might need to work on those songs in the middle of their set list. Still, it was an adventure worth having. If The Kills come around again, you should give them a listen.
Now for Previews:
This Friday and Saturday nights Mountain Sprout is playing two shows in a row at the Bottleneck. Saturday night promises more fun with the local rockstars of Cowgirl's Train Set opening the three-band show.
Next Friday, February 3rd, Mouth is celebrating it's 3rd birthday with The Werks and a CD release party! This funky party is the place to be that night!
Then, Saturday, the 4th, is the annual Waka Winter Classic at the Bottleneck! For just $5 you can see 5 local bands play their hearts out, and then you get to vote for whichever band you think deserve a slot at Wakarusa Music Festival this summer. Also be sure to enter the contest to win VIP Wakarusa Tickets! This year Sonic Sutra, Shedding Watts, Soul Rebel and the Beast, $3 Band, and The Smile High Club will share the stage. See you out there!
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