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Paul Mann: The Killers, New York Dolls at the Bowl
The Killers performed for an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd at one of the smallest venues on their world tour. As the sultry summer sun faded on a Sunday afternoon, fans flocked to the show at the Santa Barbara Bowl.
Opening act, the New York Dolls, played in the fading sunlight to a clueless crowd of Killers fans. Made up of the two remaining members in this truly legendary band, guitarist Sylvain Sylvain and lead singer David Johansen, the band tore through a much-too-short smoking set.
The Dolls, a New York glam band who formed in 1971, had been credited by many of the most credible punk-rock bands with creating a new sound that inspired their music. Members of bands such as The Ramones, Sex Pistols and The Clash have acknowledged their influence.
I first saw the band when I was in high school in Florida. Performing in full drag in front of 20,000 people, the band opened a massive concert made up of the biggest rock bands of the day. The band seemed outrageous and out of place, but even then you could sense something different about the music. Its protopunk sound smacked in the face of the cleanly engineered rock of the 1970s and ushered in a new era of explosive and raw music.
The band seemed to be having a good time at the Bowl on Sunday, even as most of the crowd appeared slack-jawed at the spectacle of ancient rockers. Sylvain and Johansen pranced about in punk-rock style, leading the rest of the band in short, dramatic jam-rock anthems. Always at ease, the lack of crowd enthusiasm didn’t seem to phase them. Several years ago, Sylvain played a small gig at Wildcat Lounge with his side band to a few dozen drunken revelers and seemed to have a fine time in that subdued atmosphere. The smiling Dolls seemed happy to be at the Bowl, and they were poised to do an encore after their brief set but were shuffled off stage by the stage-crew army of the Killers.
As night fell and the lights when out, the moment arrived that most of the crowd had waited for. The Killers took to the stage amid massive LED light and video backdrops, explosive sound, smoke and strobe lights. Led by flamboyant lead singer Brandon Flowers, the band launched straight into a bevy of their biggest hits.
I have always thought The Killers sounded a bit like a 1980s Las Vegas lounge act. It’s not that the music is bad. In fact, each time I see them, I like their clean, clear sound even more. But I find nothing original in the music. At their best, they sound like an ‘80s synth band. There is a new hit band nearly every year with this sound. An arrogant Flowers once condemned The Bravery for stealing their sound, which they obviously picked up from the ‘80s, too.
I am less impressed with their anthem-like songs that sound like marching band music, just a little too clean and polished for my tastes. I am also unimpressed with the caricature arrogance of Flowers, perhaps a nicer version of Kanye West when it comes to etiquette. Looking a little like Napoleon in drag, he pranced about in a padded-shoulder military jacket with feathered epaulets. He scolded the audience at one point. “I’m not used to seeing people sitting at my shows. Stand up! This is not a zoo. Get off your a—es.” If the music was really that good, would he need to tell anyone to stand up?
My opinion held little weight, however, as thousands of excited fans stood, clapped, cheered and sung along to their favorite songs. In the end, pop music is about selling records, and there’s no denying that The Killers are one of the most popular bands on the charts today. Their first two albums alone sold more than 14 million copies. The band is even more popular in England than America, garnering some of the highest awards in the British music world.
If nothing else, the band looks good, with massive lighting effects, surreal videos, and constant instrument and costume changes. Fans seemed to be delighted to be at the sold-out show and roared their approval at the spectacle after every song.
But the night ended on a bit of a sour note as the band ended the short set well before the 10 p.m. curfew. The Killers are known to play relatively short concerts, usually about 80 minutes or so. But the Bowl show seemed perfunctory even for them, and unlike the New York Dolls, they didn’t seem interested in playing any longer — even as the roaring crowd begged for more in vain.
— L. Paul Mann is a Noozhawk contributor.
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» on 09.29.09 @ 04:19 PM
they’re better than you are, at least in their own mind. I despise bands like that…Elvis Costello and the Attractions at the bowl many moons ago did the same thing….punks.
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