a dustland fairytale – Kat Goes To Shows

(a) setlist

1. Human
2. Spaceman
3. The Way It Was
4. Smile Like You Mean It
5. All The Songs Have Been Written/One More Song (unclear title)
6. Bling (Confession of a King)
7. Shadowplay (Joy Division cover)
8. Run For Cover
9. Somebody Told Me
10. Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll
11. For Reasons Unknown
12. My List
13. A Dustland Fairytale
14. Read My Mind
15. Runaways
16. All These Things That I’ve Done

Encore:

Shot at the Night
When You Were Young
Mr. Brightside

(b) highlights

NEW. MUSIC. FIN.A.LLY.
but seriously. aside from the brilliant “Shot at the Night” in 2013, we’ve gone 5 goddamn years without new music from these dudes, and I have no idea how I survived that long. this new music was so needed.
including “My List” in here was so sweet and heartfelt and made me so happy that the band is giving it another shot after the Sam’s Town shows; my recent wish is for it to replace “Smile Like You Mean It” in the setlist (don’t hurt me, SLYMI apologists)
I’ve heard “A Dustland Fairytale” live dozens of times, but it never hit me harder than at this show – I was in tears before the chorus even hit. so beautiful.
I can def jam with “Run For Cover” and the little piano ballad; I can’t wait to hear those at their most complete and feel so lucky to have seen them in Atlantic City
this show in particular felt like being at home with my friends; everyone around us were the best fans, the best people, and constantly bring so much joy into my life; I felt so terribly lucky to have been there with them, watching this band, hearing those songs, and living that night

(c) lowlights

#KillShadowplay2017
#KillShadowplay2017
#KillShadowplay2017

(d) overall thoughts

Some shows are really light and fun, and other ones hit you harder than you anticipate. Somehow, this show at the Borgata – literally the 4th time in 5 years The Killers have played this venue in the summer – ended up being a combination of the two. A pre-summer getaway to New Jersey after a predictably-delayed bus ride dropped us in a familiar casino only half-prepared for the unforgettable night.

Going to see The Killers at this point isn’t strictly about seeing the band these days. At some point during the Battle Born tour, traveling to shows turned into an event to see old friends, catchup with new ones, and chat about what was to come. But now, the familiarity runs so much deeper. Another trip to New Jersey means traveling home to see family. The faces of people you love so dearly, the faces of people you hate even more, and – on top of that – an unforgettable show by the boys.

The security guards remember you, the smell of the metal barricade brings back memories, you don’t need to reference signs in the casino to find your way back to the room even though casinos are strictly designed to confuse you, and everything feels just the same if not slightly changed. And that description fits the band perfectly. Brandon is still spry and in a dumb vaguely tropical-themed, sharp suit, though turning gray at the edges. Dave’s hair is curlier and he’s looking slightly older but in a refined way. Ronnie’s still got that cut-off metal-inspired tee on his tall frame and Mark is still gone. And everyone’s there, almost everyone you know and remember, and they feel those feelings too. We’re all home.

Kicking things off with “Human” and “Spaceman” instantly put me in a fun mood to dance, be happy, and have a great time with my friends. We were tucked in and surrounded by the best people and echoed all our “darlin’s” perfectly. The new piano ballad that may or may not be called “One More Song” or “All The Songs Have Been Written” turns out to be a sweet gem and “Bling” never stops being the song that resonates with me most. I audibly boo and fake vomit at Shadowplay (Brandon, please let Ian Curtis have a peaceful rest and let these laser beams lie next to him), but that’s to be expected.

When “Run For Cover” starts, I almost leave my body and realize that everything that’s happening is going to feel so portentous and meaningful one day, so I should simply bask in it as each moment passes. For the record, the song isn’t single material, but I feel lyrical resonance of “This River Is Wild” and Brandon’s “Diggin’ Up The Heart,” so can’t wait to hear that one on the album. “My List” is an unexpected sweet surprise that allowed for a much-needed stomp-clap combo.

Then, when “Dustland” started, something strange happened. Along with pretty much everyone in the crowd around me, I’ve seen that song live dozens of times. It’s always beautiful and meaningful and certainly a “moment” during the show. But for some reason, after hearing it for probably the thousandth time, I completely broke down before Brandon got to the chorus. I watched him sing along, watched Dave turn his face into the light, and watched Ronnie beat the skins in the shadows, and I lost it.

Isn’t it unbelievable to think that because of one band, a group of four guys, dozens of songs, and nothing but pure chance, my life managed to intersect with all these incredible people over a decade in such a way that we all stood in some event center in some casino in New Jersey right then and there? I met one of my best friends in the world on the sidewalk waiting to hear the premiere of “When You Were Young” 11 years ago. I met another one of my best friends on a message board when Sam’s Town was released. I’ve met people in California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arizona, Nevada, Delaware, Connecticut, even Canada because of this band. And that doesn’t even include all the people who’ve come from elsewhere to meet me. San Diego, Chicago, Boston, Virginia, Seattle, London, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Mexico, Texas, Utah, Las Vegas. And some of these people will remain in my life for as long as I live, all because of The Killers. It’s unbelievable. I love this band so much and I’ll never be able to repay them for the life they incidentally gave to me. Thank you to every Victim that’s been a part of it.

Bottom line: I’ve seen The Killers live a lot – probably too many times – but I never take it for granted. Every show is special because it’s like coming home. We all get lost in the music and the lights and the familiar hand gestures and drum beats and guitar licks and bass lines. It’s not an overstatement to say that The Killers truly gave me the life I have – I would be nothing without the friends that stand by my side and we’d all be nothing without the four guys from Las Vegas that brought us together. Cheers, Victims. I love you.

(a) setlist

Sam’s Town:

Sam’s Town
Enterlude
When You Were Young
Bling (Confession of a King)
For Reasons Unknown
Read My Mind
Uncle Jonny
Bones
My. List
This River Is Wild
Why Do I Keep Counting?
Exitlude

Encore:

Mr. Brightside
The Way It Was
Spaceman
Human
Shadowplay (Joy Division cover)
Somebody Told Me
A Dustland Fairytale
Runaways
All These Things That I’ve Done

(b) highlights

just being able to attend this show at all was one for the books. The entire Sam’s Town Extravaganza weekend was a privilege in every sense.
I fully expected the band to come out and play the exact same setlist as the previous night so it was nothing short of a gift that they changed things up and even played a longer set. Bonus points for playing acoustic “Human” for the VIP on the night I didn’t have VIP. Avoided that mess, praise! (Just kidding. But not really.)
it was nice to be able to actually watch “Sam’s Town” without sobbing through it like the previous night – I don’t think I’ll ever get over those confetti cannons and curtain-projection scene. That is a Moment with a capital M in every way.
for the first time in a long time, I got to spend a good portion of the show in front of David Brent Keuning, aka the dude in the band who accidentally became the most underrated? Like when the hell did that I happen, I don’t understand this fandom. Dave is everything and we should all be lucky he graces us with his guitar solos every night.
sometimes Ronnie is incredible and wonderful, and sometimes Ronnie is incredible and wonderful. This night he was incredible and wonderful, if you know what I mean.
it’s always a GREAT night when you get to hear “The Way It Was” – why the band briefly stopped playing that song live, I will never understand, but bless it for returning.
got to spend pretty much the whole show with my girl Rikki, who I almost always get separated from once shows start. She worships DBK and it was amazing getting to watch the show, in a sense, through her eyes. Long live Dave and long live Rikki.
Brandon was exceptionally emotional during “A Dustland Fairytale” – this always seems to happen at Vegas shows and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why.
right at the encore, Mark uncharacteristically walked toward center stage and raised both fists in the air before walking off. It felt like everyone in the venue cheered extra loud when he did that and it made me so happy.
the band closing with “All These Things That I’ve Done” brought me back to Hot Fuss days when they used to end every show with it. I got soul but I’m a soldier, baby.

(c) lowlights

please god anyone on earth, Bueller, anyone anyone please let me know who I have to speak to in the band/management/anyone to get these dudes to please stop playing “Shadowplay,” I will pay out of pocket, I will do everyone’s laundry for a month, please, throw me a lifeline.
(note: I love Joy Division and really like “Shadowplay” but it’s been nine years. Nine. Okay, end mini-rant that I know I’m not at all alone in, The Killers are perfect and it’s fine.)

(d) overall thoughts

Getting to see Night 2 of this Sam’s Town Extravaganza is one of those experiences that I’ll look back on in 5 weeks, 5 months, 5 years and say, Wait, was that real? Did we actually see that? Damn, we saw that. We had general admission tickets, sat in line, chatted the afternoon away, floated on clouds from the night before, and let the night take hold. Turns out it was quite the adventure.

Through luck, charm, grace, and opportunity, my friend and I got super sick spots during the show and rode the Sam’s Town wave from 2006 and beyond. The people around us were Victims from literally all around the world and it was pretty cool getting to know most them and letting the goddamn-American-as-hell confetti rain down on us from above. Sam’s Town was just as pitch-perfect and exhausting as the previous night and the band felt slightly more loose playing it. Everyone lost it during “Sam’s Town,” “When You Were Young,” “Bling,” “Bones,” and “This River Is Wild,” and very few moved during “Uncle Jonny,” “My List,” and “Why Do I Keep Counting?” but what can you do? In the words of Brandon Flowers, I had my dancing shoes on and Sam’s Town was a real rattlesnake from beginning to end.

I was so delirious that by the time Ronnie started drumming the intro to “The Way It Was,” I thought it was actually “From Here On Out,” and nearly passed out in blind rage. Luckily, good ole Dave took it away with that slick and reality-lifting guitar intro and we all survived. (I actually don’t hate “From Here On Out,” but do we really need to hear it again? No.) Brandon gave an intro after “Human” that really led me to believe the band was FINALLY going to play “Sweet Talk” and I nearly died. But no. It was just “Shadowplay.” Heavy sigh. Getting to hear “A Dustland Fairytale,” which the band skipped over the night before, was a real treat in every sense. If your heart isn’t bursting at the “and the decades disappear like sinking ships, but we persevere, God gives us hope, but we still fear what we don’t know,” then you’re lying. “All These Things That I’ve Done” felt more triumphant than ever, truly a marked moment of accomplishment and experience after the night wound down. You can hear these songs again and again – and I have – but I promise you they both feel like greeting old friends you haven’t seen in awhile and new, clean breaths of fresh air. Every show is familiar, but every show is different. Every feeling is real and every memory sticks to your brain like putty. You can’t easily forget about these guys.

Bottom line: Despite what the naysayers may have said 10 years ago, or what people might even say now about a band like The Killers, you can’t deny that there is heart, passion, and an unforgettable quality to the music, the band, and the experience. I treasure every note, every song (yes, even “Shadowplay”…), every moment, and every show because I – like the many before me and the many after me – love this band and their music more than words could allow. If that’s the only thing I could take away from something like the Sam’s Town Extravaganza, then I think I still won.