Tag: the struts

The Struts 12/17/16

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(a) setlist

    1. Put Your Hands Up
    2. These Times Are Changing
    3. Could Have Been Me
    4. Matter Of Time
    5. Kiss This
    6. Mary Go Round
    7. I Just Know
    8. Dirty Sexy Money
    9. Let’s Make This Happen Tonight
    10. Put Your Money On Me
    11. Only Just a Call Away
    12. Rebel Rebel (David Bowie cover)
    13. Where Did She Go

(b) highlights

  • The Struts are one of the best live bands in recent memory. Period.
  • any band that has FOUR costume changes casually included in their set gets an A+ in my book.
  • you haven’t seen audience participation until you’ve been to a Struts show; Luke Spiller is one of the most charismatic and energetic frontman imaginable – you know you’re doing something right when most people compare you to Freddie Mercury and Steven Tyler in terms of performance, voice, and attitude.
  • 2016 was the year of David Bowie covers for obvious reasons, and this cover of “Rebel Rebel” nailed it on all accounts.
  • I really cannot underscore how much fun Struts shows are – everyone was into every song whether they knew the lyrics or not.
  • Luke came into the crowd after costume change number 3 and took control of the crowd instantly.
  • I love the Warsaw – awesome venue, awesome sound, such a solid night.

(c) lowlights

  • I really can’t say there was anything bad to say about this show; I would tell everyone and their mother to see the Struts live if I could.

(d) overall thoughts

The first time I saw The Struts, they opened for The Killers in Arizona in April earlier this year. Needless to say, I was completely blown away by their show despite having never heard any of their songs let alone knew they were a band. They only have one full-length album out, Everyone Wants, but man, is that album packed with clear hits. Track after track feels like a full-bodied hit; every song could be a single and every song is a triumphant fist-pump to boot. The English band gives off a classic rock vibe – 80’s hair metal minus the metal and more arena-type singalongs.

“Put Your Hands Up,” “Could Have Been Me,” and “Kiss This” are notable standouts, but honestly, every single track was high-energy and fun. Luke Spiller brings audience engagement and participation to the next level, and every band member plays their instrument well. If I only had one word to describe what makes The Struts so magical live is presence. The band just has it. And you know that everyone in the room can feel it. Whether we’re all clapping together, jumping in formation, or singing in one voice “oh oh oh ohhhh!” – we’re all in it. By the time the confetti rained down on the audience, every person in the room was grinning ear-to-ear.

Bottom line: The Struts are one hell of a band of performers and they put everything into their live shows. From presentation and sound to attitude and theatrics, this Struts gig was the perfect way to put an end to 2016.

The Killers 4/3/16

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(a) setlist

    1. Runaways
    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. Somebody Told Me
    8. Human
    9. Glamorous Indie Rock ‘n’ Roll
    10. Uncle Jonny
    11. Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry cover)
    12. For Reasons Unknown
    13. A Dustland Fairytale
    14. Read My Mind
    15. All These Things That I’ve Done
    16. Mr. Brightside

Encore:

  1. Shot at the Night
  2. Change Your Mind
  3. When You Were Young

(b) highlights

  • Glamorous Indie Rock ‘n’ Roll (!!!!!!!!)
  • one of the best opening bands The Killers have ever had: The Struts. LOOK. THEM. UP. [They were so good that half of the Killers, their crew, and a bunch of others literally came out on the stage wings to watch. Like, WOW.]
  • Uncle Jonny – the way the band has extended the outro before the final verse = HEAVEN
  • Johnny B. Goode was so rad, especially with The Struts’ lead singer
  • “desert people”
  • Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
  • the entire damn show, as always

(c) lowlights

  • the band played On Top the night before – that would’ve been a cool addition here
  • every day I pray for Believe Me Natalie, my god, do I pray for that song live
  • pretty much nothing, to be honest

(d) overall thoughts

I’ve seen The Killers a lot. Like, a lot. They’re my favorite band of all time and I’ve been consistently seeing them live since 2005. I’ll never not love them and will defend them until the ends of the Earth, so hearing people say things like, “Hot Fuss is their only good album” and “‘Mr. Brightside’ is their only good song” makes me want to projectile vomit. My friends and I flew to Tempe, Arizona from NYC for their warm-up show in preparation of opening the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, their hometown.

It’s difficult to thoroughly talk about this band without getting emotional and blabbering, but this scrapbook is about the memories. And my memories were this: they were amazing. As always. They sounded perfect. As always. They looked perfect. As always. This was one of their first real shows in about 8 months; Brandon Flowers spent most of 2015 preoccupied with his second solo album, The Desired Effect, and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. kicked around a second album Straight In No Kissin’ with his side project bros Big Talk. Despite the time away, it appeared that nothing had been lost in term’s of performance quality. As always.

Bottom line: I waited in line for about 21 hours to see my favorite four guys and I would/probably will do the whole thing again. They were perfect, as always.