mr. brightside – Kat Goes To Shows

(a) setlist

1. Mr. Brightside
2. Spaceman
3. The Way It Was
4. Smile Like You Mean It
5. Bling (Confession of a King)
6. Shadowplay (Joy Division cover)
7. Human
8. Run For Cover
9. Somebody Told Me
10. For Reasons Unknown
11. A Dustland Fairytale
12. Read My Mind
13. Runaways
14. All These Things That I’ve Done
15. When You Were Young

(b) highlights

ughhh, love the feeling of knowing The Killers can headline any and all festivals even when they don’t have a new album, total babes
some found this set too short but I thought it was the perfect length for a Sunday night when I had work the next day and it was a million degrees outside
I love when the band opens with “Mr. Brightside,” especially at a festival – if only because most people think everyone sees The Killers just to hear “Mr. Brightside.” But nope. Everyone stays and the band keeps playing on.
“Run For Cover” sounded even better than the night before, if that’s possible. Brandon seemed lighter and looser, and I was into it. We’ve got a singalong on our hands, folks
the crowd was freaking massive at the BB&T Center in Camden and everyone was so into it; over 30,000 people were there and we were right there in the 4th row center. incredible.

(c) lowlights

#KILLSHADOWPLAY2017, I’M NOT KIDDING
it was SO. GODDAMN. HOT. no. like, really. Brandon had to change his outfit halfway through the set – something I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do. Dave wiped his face with his towel between every single song, it was nuts. I’m almost positive the show ended early because it was so hot. I felt hot, tired, and old, so I wasn’t complaining.
#KillShadowplay2017

(d) overall thoughts

In case anyone thought differently, New Jersey in the middle of June is hot. Attending a concert in New Jersey in the middle of June is hot. But attending a concert in New Jersey in the middle of June with 30,000 people in an outdoor venue is definitely goddamn hot. But, obviously, no one was going to miss The Killers just because of that.

The night was hot, the lights were hot, the crowd was hot, body heat packing everyone in, the distant rumble of thousands of fans standing behind me, and then the band came out. The fact that a band like The Killers can legitimately open a festival set with “Mr. Brightside” like it’s no big deal will never not amaze me. Recently, a flurry of articles have popped up questioning how it’s possible that “Mr. Brightside” has remained in the UK music charts for over a decade since its release. How is it possible? I don’t know, maybe it’s an incredible song that everyone instantly knows the words to and connects with because it’s catchy as hell, timeless, and uh, oh The Killers are phenomenal songwriters, and why is this a question again?

Even if you’re not interested in The Killers, or find them overrated, or annoying, or overplayed, or overblown, or uninteresting, or…whatever — I don’t think it’s unfair to recognize the effect they’ve had on generations of music fans. They haven’t promoted a real studio album with new music and haven’t played this particular venue since 2013 yet everyone around me knew every song for the most part. How many other bands can say that? Honestly. Who?

Most songs felt like business as usual – having seen a set like this many times – but that’s not a bad thing. I still feel like every time I’ve seen the band, they’ve grown as performers. Dave has been coming out of his shell again the last couple of years after an odd period of retreating behind his mane of hair, and genuinely looks happy to be performing again. Ronnie is P u l l i n g O f f those white pants and Brandon’s voice and energy feels stronger than its ever been. We miss you so much, Mark. “Run For Cover” sounded even better hearing it the second time live and I can’t wait for the rest of the world to hear it. The boys are cooking something special and I’m ready for a taste.

Bottom line: After seeing this show and hearing a taste of The Killers new music, I really feel like the band is on the precipice of something great. Over a decade of success, the delight of millions, and integrity in performance proves that all signs lead to a pot of gold for the guys from Las Vegas. Something special is on the horizon and I feel so lucky to be witnessing it.

(i) lineup

1a. HAIM
2b. The Killers

(1a) (HAIM’s) setlist

If I Could Change Your Time
Don’t Save Me
I Would Die 4 U (Prince cover)
Forever
Honey & I
Give Me Just a Little of Your Love
My Song 5
Nothing’s Wrong
The Wire
Falling

(1b) highlights

pretty cool seeing HAIM for the first time
I’d only heard a couple of HAIM songs before this and didn’t know what to expect – they were definitely more high energy and enjoyable than I thought!
it’s stupid that I even have to say this, but it’s really awesome to see a modern rock band entirely composed of women who actually know how to play their instruments
there’s nothing I love more than watching a musician get lost in their own music and Este Haim’s bass face epitomizes that so hard

(1c) lowlights

it started raining maybe 4 or 5 songs in – just a little rain at first and then the sky.opened.up; the rain was so bad that I had to open my umbrella and duck down so the hardcore HAIM fan behind me could see…which means I watched the rest of the show from underneath the umbrella and staring at the barricade – it sounded good, I guess
no, seriously, that rain was freaking awful, you don’t understand

(1d) overall thoughts

As I mentioned, I had very little knowledge of HAIM’s discography before this show, but I had heard good things about their live show. I always thought their band story was pretty cool – three sisters who grew up in my hometown and ended up getting huge with cool tunes. Into it. I had heard about their live show and schtick through osmosis, so I was intrigued to actually see them.

Their Fleetwood-Mac-with-an-edge vibe was cool, made sense, and definitely enjoyable. HAIM’s live performance definitely elevated their otherwise merely adequate songs. The girls’ energy, audience interaction, and occasionally coordinated dance moves made for a good show, but couldn’t hold up in the rain for me. A large part of me wishes it had never rained so I could give my full attention to them, but….yeah, that rain was bad and I was there for The Killers, guys.

Bottom line: It’s no surprise that HAIM is as big as they are; it’s awesome that they’re cool chicks doing their hippie-chic thing, if only it hadn’t started rain so intensely, they might’ve won me over completely.

(2a) (The Killers’) setlist

Mr. Brightside
Spaceman
The Way It Was
Smile Like You Mean It
Bling (Confession of a King)
Shot at the Night
Human
Somebody Told Me
Glamorous Indie Rock ‘n’ Roll
Obstacle 1 (Interpol cover)
For Reasons Unknown
A Dustland Fairytale
Can’t Help Falling In Love (Elvis Presley cover)
Read My Mind
Runaways
All These Things That I’ve Done

Encore:

This Is Your Life
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine
When You Were Young

(2b) highlights

it rained for two god awful hours and then stopped exactly 5 minutes before the band went onstage; g o d b l e s s
Obstacle 1!!!! Interpol!!! Killing it!!!
Damn, “Shot at the Night” and “Glamorous Indie Rock ‘n’ Roll,” sounded so good; sometimes songs you’ve heard a million times hit you just right
Ronnie Vannucci’s face, Dave Keuning singing “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier” into Brandon’s mic, and pink blazers are best; Ted Sablay’s guitar work on “Obstacle 1” was top-notch, as well
that Elvis cover is so beautiful, it’s almost obnoxious; like when something is so sweet and wonderful that it destroys you
fun fact: the “This Is Your Life” hand wave can cure almost any illness
the crowd didn’t suck, no one crowd-surfed, and 25,000 people stayed through the rain – I was shocked and so, so proud of the crowd for sticking around

(2c) lowlights

two. hours. of. constant. rain.
everyone was soaked, multiple friends lost their phones to rain damage, and people were seriously crying out there in the rain – a lot of my stuff was ruined and everyone was so miserable before the set started, but we stayed; it would’ve been nice of the band to say something along the lines of “thanks for staying” or “sorry you’re all wet,” but it’s okay
I miss Mark Stoermer, I need Mark Stoermer, I want Mark Stoermer, please someone anyone bring back Mark Stoermer, you are the light of my life and your absence is the size of Nevada in my heart </3 I respect his wishes to take a break, but I miss him so, so much </3

(2d) overall thoughts

Picture it: it’s around 7 pm, the sun has disappeared behind gray clouds, and the sky opens up like a monsoon. It wasn’t even supposed to rain that day. In less than 10 minutes, everything you own is soaking wet and there’s nowhere to go, nothing to put on, nowhere to hide. And there’s still over two hours until The Killers come on-stage. More. than. two. hours. Then, around 9:10, the rain stops. And at 9:15, The Killers come out with Mr. Brightside – it felt like a goddamn baptism, I swear to God.

The show was great – it always is. The crowd was overwhelming in a good way, the band had their usual raw, festival-level energy, and the sound was great. Brandon came into a few lines late and Ronnie missed a few beats, but almost no one noticed. Dave looked happy to be there and it felt like such a treat to hear “Glamorous Indie Rock ‘n’ Roll” live at a festival for the first time in like 8 years. I’ve been an Interpol fan for as long as I’ve loved The Killers, so it was awesome to hear “Obstacle 1” in that setting – the cover itself felt so developed and clearly not thrown together at the last minute (a couple of TK covers have felt this way…). The lights were cool and I appreciated that TK paid tribute to Interpol and the NYC music scene while still definitely making the song their own.

I won’t lie and pretend like it wasn’t completely devastating to see The Killers perform without bassist Mark Stoermer. I was in the front and closer to Mark’s usual side of the stage, so his absence was even more obvious to me. I absolutely still had an incredible time and will always love this band so much, but I never forgot that Mark wasn’t there. I hope he comes back soon and knows how much people care about him. I hope he’s happy.

Bottom line: Rain can crush souls, but The Killers are particularly good at reviving them. We miss you, Mark Stoermer.