Eleven days ago, which seems like eleven weeks ago, I went to see Kings of Leon. It’s taken me this long, and seeing another band, to be able to write about the KoL concert.
I looked forward to this concert every day between April 22, when I bought the tickets, and September 24, when the it took place. I listened to Mechanical Bull, Because of the Times, Come Around Sundown, Only By the Night, Holy Roller Novacaine, Aha Shake Heartbreak, and Youth and Young Manhood, over and over and over again.
I am (admittedly) obsessed with Caleb Followill’s voice . . . well more than just his voice, but I don’t need to write about that anymore than you need to read about it. Last year, in my top ten picks of album of the year, Mechanical Bull was my number one.
It’s hard for me to say which of the songs from that album is my favorite, probably Last Mile Home, or Wait for Me, neither of which they played on this tour. Submitting my pick for #songforthecity was near impossible. They played Arizona at Red Rocks, a song I didn’t dare to hope for, but one I cannot believe was not on their setlist anyway. Without question, one of their best songs—I’m so happy I had to opportunity to hear it performed live.
They did play Fans, Pyro, The Immortals, Back Down South, Temple, Use Somebody, Sex on Fire, Molly's Chambers and many others. The two-plus hours they played seemed more like fifteen minutes . . . and I could’ve stayed and listened to them all night long.
Those Followill boys didn’t disappoint in any way. The music was fantastic, their interaction on stage was a sight to behold . . . it was worth every penny we paid to sit right up front, just to be able to see their expressions, and the occasional smile that crossed Caleb’s face.
I also have to admit, there was a while before KoL came onstage that I held my breath. I told Frank that if there was any concert I really hoped lived up to my expectations, it was this one. I hoped all the band members were healthy, and professional. They were. And then some.
As a budding musician, guitar player, and newly-minted band member, I hoped Frank saw and appreciated the amount of work goes into being THAT good. I think he did.
Another thing Frank and I talk about whenever we go to Red Rocks is how it must feel to play there as a band. It is rare that a band takes the stage and DOESN’T say that playing at Red Rocks was a life-long dream. Most look around, at the rocks, the scenery, and the audience with awe in their eyes and voices. A few have gotten emotional, the whole experience bringing them to tears. I always say to Frank, “can you imagine what it must feel like to be on this stage and hear the entire Red Rocks audience sing your music back to you?” Yeah, I’d get pretty emotional too, if I were them . . . cause I get emotional just watching them.
The concert was everything I hoped it would be and more. We met some great people that night; we danced and danced and danced; we couldn’t talk on the way home because our voices were long since gone from singing and screaming and cheering . . . and our faces hurt from smiling so much.
A day or so after the concert I posted something about how I hoped one day my books would be made into movies, if only for the soundtrack. I can tell you, they’d have to be BIG budget movies . . . cause I’d insist there be at least one KoL song used in each one of them.
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