About half-way through Sunday night's show, the Kings of Leon said they hadn't played live in a while.
It didn't sound like it.
The brothers (and one cousin) played a mostly tight 75-minute show, effortlessly gliding through their first two CDs and trying out about a half-dozen new songs for the lively, but not jam-packed Miller Lite Oasis crowd. At first, the screaming vocals of Caleb Followill sounded a little drowned out, but after 20 minutes or so, they were perfect, note for note. Lead guitarist Matthew Followill was simply awesome, cranking through solos, barely breaking a sweat (unlike his bandmates, who were drenched).
Like their last Milwaukee show at The Rave, the group was loud and energetic, but slightly less glam than their previous appearance -- only a Southern rock band could pull off a sleeveless jean jacket in 2006. The crowd sang along to most of the Kings' second disc, "Aha Shake Heatrbeak," but of course the biggest roar came for their breakout single, "Molly's Chambers."
In an evening that was strangely mellow at Summerfest, the Kings of Leon wrapped up a powerful show with a two-song encore -- that oddly enough featured two new songs no one had heard before. Instead of finishing with "Day Old Blues" or "Soft," they left the audience wanting more. And their new material, while interesting, has almost a disco edge to it -- quite a departure.
It's hard to find anything wrong with a concert like this, but for a band that brings every song to a powerful climax, this rockin' concert went out with a whimper. That said, Sunday's show will go down as an all-time Summerfest favorite -- here's to hoping the Kings of Leon come back to Milwaukee very soon.
It didn't sound like it.
The brothers (and one cousin) played a mostly tight 75-minute show, effortlessly gliding through their first two CDs and trying out about a half-dozen new songs for the lively, but not jam-packed Miller Lite Oasis crowd. At first, the screaming vocals of Caleb Followill sounded a little drowned out, but after 20 minutes or so, they were perfect, note for note. Lead guitarist Matthew Followill was simply awesome, cranking through solos, barely breaking a sweat (unlike his bandmates, who were drenched).
Like their last Milwaukee show at The Rave, the group was loud and energetic, but slightly less glam than their previous appearance -- only a Southern rock band could pull off a sleeveless jean jacket in 2006. The crowd sang along to most of the Kings' second disc, "Aha Shake Heatrbeak," but of course the biggest roar came for their breakout single, "Molly's Chambers."
In an evening that was strangely mellow at Summerfest, the Kings of Leon wrapped up a powerful show with a two-song encore -- that oddly enough featured two new songs no one had heard before. Instead of finishing with "Day Old Blues" or "Soft," they left the audience wanting more. And their new material, while interesting, has almost a disco edge to it -- quite a departure.
It's hard to find anything wrong with a concert like this, but for a band that brings every song to a powerful climax, this rockin' concert went out with a whimper. That said, Sunday's show will go down as an all-time Summerfest favorite -- here's to hoping the Kings of Leon come back to Milwaukee very soon.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
