The Kills 10th Anniversary Show

The Kills were back at it, visiting Terminal 5 for the fourth time in less than a year.  This time it was for a special 10^th anniversary show that brought their freight train of an international tour to an end.

Before the Kills, JEFF the Brotherhood played an opening set.  Not only are the brothers becoming a household name on the live music circuit, but are tearing it up with increasing confidence.  They played several of their signature songs, including the title track from their fifth studio album “Heavy Days” and the song they recently performed on the Jimmy Fallon Show, “Diamond Way.”  The last song they played was their newest single “Whatever I Want” (released by Third Man Records).  However, they performed it with a special surprise; Alison from the Kills took over on vocals!  At the show, the group was selling a new compilation record Brotherhood of Light, which is a collection of previously released, but out of print odds and ends.

 

After the packed crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to the Kills, Jamie and Alison took the stage.  Through songs old and new, they dominated Terminal 5 with a performance just as epic as their previous ones, but this time with an extra sense of something special.  The huge difference was in Alison’s hair.  Previously jet-black, it had recently been dyed pink at some point along the tour.

The show was obviously an important one to the group, as they had expressed both online and at the show.  The Kills are one of those humble groups that are genuinely grateful of their fans.  Alison put together a little booklet of prose and drawings that were handed out to everyone that attended the show.  They also had a beautiful tour poster (a Rob Jones print) depicting a black and white birds-eye view of Broadway, with two floating black balloons, giving a nod to their equally as beautiful song “Black Balloon” (which they played).  It was an extremely touching moment as Jamie and Alison brought the show to a close with a hug and a bow.

The Full setlist: 

1. No Wow
2. Future Starts Slow
3. Heart is a Beating Drum
4. Kissy Kissy
5. U.R.A. Fever
6. DNA
7. Satellite
8. Last Day of Magic
9. Crazy
10. At the Back of the Shell
11. Black Balloon
12. Baby Says
13. You Don’t Own the Road
14. Tape Song
15. Cheap and Cheerful
16. Pots and Pans

Encore:

17. The Last Goodbye
18. Nail in My Coffin
19. Sour Cherry
20. Fuck the People
21. Monkey 23

(All Original Photos)

-JS

The Smith Westerns supported by Porcelain Raft and Bleached at Webster Hall (1/31/12)

Bleached was the first to play on the last day of January at Webster Hall.  I was curious to see them because of the media attention they have been getting as a band to watch in 2012, but I unfortunately could only get there in time for their final song.  From what I briefly heard, it seemed like they had been putting it all out there on the stage that night.  However, it is what I saw that really pays respect to them—a packed room.  It was probably the most crowded I have seen Webster Hall that early in the night, so apparently their media attention has begun reaching broader heights, and I hope to be able to catch them in the near future.  

The second band on the bill was Porcelain Raft, a self-done electronic project by the singer/songwriter Mauro Remiddi.  He had a drummer accompany him for the live performance as he did his thing—which was an electronically dreamy sound that he played guitar/keyboard along with while singing in a smooth, soft voice.  The two of them were very aware musicians, and were very particular about every little noise that they produced.  They used several props with their instruments for unique effects, such as slightly dangling a group of bells tied together on the surface of the drum set's cymbal.  At the end of the night, Mauro was available at the merchandise table to talk to.  He had limited tour edition white vinyl records for sale, and after talking to me for a few minutes he was nice enough to pose for a picture (on the right).

The Smith Westerns came on as the headliners of the night to a crowd that suddenly seemed younger, and acted a bit more rowdy than the band’s sound really called for.  It was an obvious excuse for the kid’s with an X marked on their hands to jump up and down and try to grind on each other.  That being said, the Smith Westerns are also just kids, but it is truly impressive how much they have established themselves at such a young age.  With two albums out, the group was recently opening for the Artic Monkeys this past fall before they deservingly began their own current headlining tour.  The Smith Westerns were a very professional sounding group.  They played their instruments cleanly, and had a mature sound reminiscent of rock bands from before their time.  The Smith Westerns are off to a great start and have a long and promising future ahead of them.

(All original pictures)

-JS