Concert Review: The Killers

Last night I saw The Killers in concert here in Phoenix. Now this is only tangentially related to Las Vegas, but the band does come from Las Vegas, and their last album was recorded at the Palms’ new recording studio.

Aside from being the best dressed band in Rock and Roll, musically The Killers are a band that wears their influences on their sleeves. Their first album was David Bowie by way of Depeche Mode, (The name of the band was actually inspired from a New Order video) and their latest album smacks of Bruce Springsteen (Listen to ‘When You Were Young’ and ‘Born To Run’, and you’ll hear what I mean), among others.

While I personally think their first album, Hot Fuss, while maybe not revolutionary, was a breath of fresh air and is one of my favorites. Their second CD, Sam’s Town, may not be a step back but definitely was a step in a different direction, and didn’t really click for me.

Another concern I had going in was that the range and scope of the Killers music wouldn’t translate well into a concert setting, as I’ve read their arena shows have been sub-par. This was heightened by the opening act, Howling Bells, which has a similar, complicated sound, and we couldn’t hear a damn thing with all the feedback and effects stepping on each other’s toes.

However, the concert was tremendous. The sound was obviously tailored to the headliners, as there were no audible issues at all. The band itself surprised me with their charisma, employing an additional keyboardist to allow lead singer Brandon Flowers to act as a front man, and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

The lighting was a show unto itself, perfectly matched to the audio, adding just enough theatricality without being cheesy. It provided a great backdrop to my favorite song of the night, the Oasis-esque (Ok, I’m done comparing them to other bands, I promise) ‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’, which was backlit by red spotlights.

Other songs that stuck out to me were ‘Read My Mind’, ‘Glamourous Indie Rock & Roll’, and my favorite Killers song, ‘Somebody Told Me’. The mix between their two albums was done in such a way to keep even casual fans engaged. The encore contained ‘My List’, the traditional ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’, with a David Bowie cover (Damn if I can’t remember the name) in between.

High marks all around for the concert, from the lighting and sound to the band themselves. I am further convinced that the Killers, while maybe not the saviors of Rock and Roll that some might expect, are defintely here to stay…at least until their next album tanks.

The Killers Home Page