The Killlers Bring Vegas to Phoenix 04.11.2007

The glitz, theatrics and drama of the Vegas Experience was presented to over 5,000 concertgoers last night, April 11,2007 at the Dodge Theater.  That’s right, The Killers were in town and played to a sold out show of die-hard fans.  It has been over two year since the last time the Killers visited the Valley.   A sold at show of the Marquee was their venue of choice that time around, which holds, 1000 people.  My, how having two hit releases can change things!

Brandon Flowers (vocals/keyboards), the front man for the Killers, was appropriately decked out in a costume that seemed suitable for ‘The Gambler” or a card dealer at the 4 Queens, playing homage to the home and inspiration for their, sophomore album (Sam’s Town), Las Vegas.  David Keuning (guitar), Mark Stoermer (bass), and Ronnie Vannucci (drums) were alo decked out in their own personal style ranging from a glimmering jacket to a plain white Tshirt.

The first three songs followed the order of their Sam’s Town cd, “Sam’s Town”, a few brief lines from “Enterlude” and the colossal hit “When you were young”. The fourth song revisited “Hot Fuss”, their debut cd with “Somebody Told Me”.  The concert was a fantastic mixture of their top hits from Sam’s Town with a delightful mixture of the top hits from their “Hot Fuss” debut album.  The audience was on their feet for the entire performance and joined in singing with the songs.  However, the energy of the room hit a peak when everyone exploded into chorus as The Killer played “Mr. Brightside” for their final song of the set.  A few minutes later, The Killers returned for their encore and preceded play an additional four songs.

The phenomenal performance of The Killer was also greatly enhanced by their amazing staging and light displays.  Never lacking in theatrics, The Killers were able to transform the Dodge Theater into what looked like a supporting act to the Freemont Experience in Vegas.  The lighting was absolutely amazing with set ups that changed with every song.  Confetti exploded from the sky on multiple occasions, creating an even higher level of excitement within the Theater. 

Overall, the concert was an excellent experience and many people left wanting more and looking forward to the next visit from the Killers!

Everclear Tempe Music Festival 03.31.2007

By Jill Rashell, www.FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

I have always wondered what it was like backstage right before the band rushes to greet the crowd. Are the artists escorted by a team of security, like a top secret mission waiting to happen? Are they huddled together like a group of athletes before the big game, jumping up and down encouraging each other? Do they approach every performance like most of us do our own jobs? I think it’s a mixture of all and truly depends on the band, the longevity they have had, and they all have lives just like us, that can creep into our work. To be more specific on the band at hand, they were great. I would like to use a more sophisticated word in describing them but it just would not be fitting. As an observer before they went on stage, they were huddled together, smiling, enjoying each other. Slightly secluded, but who doesn’t want to rally with just the team before the big game?

The crowd seemed mediocre in temperament but considering it was late afternoon and the sun was still beating down they were holding up very well. It was either that or they were saving their energy for O.A.R. and The Fray. Regardless, the crowd pulled through song after song, whether it was one of Everclear’s earlier hits or a new song off of their upcoming album.

My personal highlight was when front man, Art Aleakis, sang an acoustic version of Van Morrison’s classic Brown Eyed Girl. Being a blue eyed girl myself, I still found it charming and a great way to unify the audience while giving his band mates a break. Aleakis dedicated the cover to his fifteen year old daughter, who he referred to as the only brown eyed girl he had left.

Everclear is truly versatile and talented. They maintain the integrity of their sound, whether their rockin’ out or catering to pop culture. The have proven it once again that they are in it for the long haul.