_edited.png)
It’s that time of year again: the air begins to cool and the sun sets earlier each day at a time.
For some, this may mean sadness that the summer is gone and resentment towards the oncoming cold weather (which, as Chicagoans, we can all agree on). But for others, it means nighttime coming alive earlier, and plenty more concerts coming our way.
For that reason, I will be doing a Fall Concert Review series of shows I will be attending the next few months!
To start the series off, this past Friday, I attended Brandon Flowers’ performance at the Riviera. It’s been a few years since I have seen The Killers’ frontman perform live in Chicago for their Battleborn tour, and since then, the crooner has released his second solo album, The Desired Effect, in May and reignited the burning love I have for him in my heart.
One by one, his backing band members took their places on stage, preparing to play their first notes. The stage was dim, with the only source of light being right above the center mic. Flowers takes his place underneath the light, singing “Come out with me tonight,” as the band slowly builds behind him.
Without missing a beat, Flowers and company jump right into one song after the next; Flowers struck Elvis-like poses during the intro of “Dreams Come True,” and I knew they had for me. The audience was especially a dance party for his first single off of The Desired Effect, “Can’t Deny My Love, as the crowd sang along to the words “not gonna, not gonna deny/no you’re not gonna, not gonna deny my love!”
While Flowers is touring for his solo album, the audience couldn’t expect not to hear a few Killers songs. And we weren’t disappointed. Before performing a more folk-y version of “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine,” Flowers eerily asked “Before we start this next song, I have one question for you: is he innocent, or is he guilty?”
Without a doubt, Flowers’ stage presence has not faltered throughout his music career. He speaks so calmly and eloquently, like he’s been friends with everybody in the audience for years (which is pretty much true, as he met with fans outside the venue after the show was over!).
Flowers told us a story about a man he met who was traveling to a holy place in Mexico to seek forgiveness, and immediately transitioning into an enthusiastic performance of “Magdalena.”
Killers fans rejoiced once again when Flowers performed “Human” from their album Day And Age, immediately followed by a remixed version of “Mr. Brightside,” of both songs I knew the words of since before I was even a teenager.
Flowers and company exited the stage for a few moments, but we knew he wasn’t going anywhere without an encore.
To wrap up the show, Flowers performed “Between Me And You” off his new album, as well as “Still Want You,” to which he quieted down for part of the chorus to let the audience sing to him “I still want you!” time after time.
To end his mind blowing performance, he finished with “Only The Young” from his first solo album, Flamingo. And, with an appreciative bow, Brandon Flowers wrapped up yet another breathtaking performance; one that I hope to be revived in the near future.
-Sonia
Comments