This.
Was.
Simly.
Breathtaking.
Now, before I begin to preach, h
ear me out. I don't do concerts. They're too loud, and being the height challenged person I am, I can never see the band. Plus, I've always found that bands I like lose my respect after I see them live because they're usually not as good-- loose and disjointed, often off key and kind of scatter-brained. So, in general, if I go to a concert, I really, really, really like the band I'm seeing. It doesn't happen that often, trust me.
So when I heard that the Kings of Leon were going to be coming to my frigid part of the northern hemisphere, I jumped at the opportunity. I patiently waited that morning to purchase my tickets on ticketmaster, falling victim to their shitty seat offers the first day of sales. So I hunted down a floor ticket from a satellite site for what seemed like a good price ($99.00) which turned out to be not such a good price ($99.00USD= approximately $150CND at the time of purchase).
But I was stoked. Kings of Leon, on the floor, belting out my favorite songs?! How could I be disappointed?!
Time passed. My tickets were purchased in April, and the concert wouldn't be until August 13. Which, I might add (*
WARNING:
very nerdy content coming up) is the date of which Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan marry each other in Breaking Dawn (alas, I am an incredibly huge Twilight nerd-- sorry). Come August 1st I was counting down the days, even though I was currently on an extremely drunken holiday. Needless to say, I was a bit excited to see them live. On the floor. Where I could smell his
sweat.
The concert itself was brilliant-- I've never had such an appreciation for an opening act as I did last night. The Whigs are possibly the next best thing, and I'm forever grateful that KOL have extended their warms arms to allow the small band to tour with them. It probably also helps that their both bands from the [dirty] south; homesick is as homesick does. I miss the south too; just not Dallas, Texas. Tornadoes can rip that place apart and I won't shed a single tear. But that's another story.
The music was quality, the sound was... as good as it gets for concerts. They played simple sets, inkeeping with their beginnings. Caleb, the lead singer wears a cross I'm sure he's worn since childhood being brought up with a popular preacher for a father. I can't imagine going from that to this-- playing stadiums and arenas all over north america (I'm unsure if they're touring in Europe? I'm sure they have, they're HUGE in the U.K).
I just can't get over the fact I saw them live. At one point in the night my friend and myself were no more than a scant 10ft from the stage, the crowd pulsing and singing along to one of their older songs.
Caleb's speech at the end was spoken like a true artist fond of their craft but appreciative of their devoted fans. He thanked the crowd numerous times, and at one point explained that he was pleased in the hopes that people didn't just come to see them perform songs off their new album, the ones that are on the radio all the time. Which is the unfortunate thing about popular music and the radio. Thank god for my ipod hook-up in my car, otherwise I'd go insane. I love their older albums just as much as I like the new one, if not more. They've grown as artist, but they know where to come back to when they're done experimenting. They've found a good sound, and they keep with it, but through experiments their sound becomes richer and more diverse. Quite simply, they're on the path to something huge.
I have to get off my post-coital concert bliss high and come back down to earth for work. I'll refine some of my points later, maybe re-write this horridly written piece. Until then, enjoy in the thoughts that Memphis, Tennesse may have lost Elvis and Motown, but they gained the Kings.
