Brandon Flowers
Saturday, November 20
Liberty Hall
Better Than: Brandon Flowers vs. Larry Fitzgerald
Shortly after the death of Jacko, I declared Brandon Flowers the new King of Pop via Facebook. No one commented.
I hate to use the "Damn, he's fine!" excuse when explaining why I favor a musician that most people find annoying, so I won't. However, there's something completely endearing and magnetic about Brandon Flowers. And we have things in common, Brandon and I: Mormon roots, the propensity to make overblown comments, and the soft spot in our hearts for all things Vegas.
Previous reviews of his performances have been lukewarm. I knew there would be no pyrotechnics, fake palm trees or confetti bombs. But the Liberty Hall stage simply seemed too small for the man. Throughout the show, his sound was extremely loud, and his dance moves were rather constrained and herky-jerky. Flowers needed more space to let it flow, and he didn't have it.
"Lawrence, Kansas, it's Saturday night and I'm comin' for ya!" he announced before breaking into "On the Floor," his anthem for the down-and-out: That's where I'll be / when the crickets come home and sign their symphony. It's hard to think of Flowers 18 hours after a coke bender with empty pockets, chapped lips and possibly missing his shoes, but whatever. (Damn, he's fine!)
His cover of "Bette Davis Eyes" was well-executed, but frankly, I'd be all right never having to listen to Kim Carnes again. From my upper-level seat at extreme stage right, I could see only four people on stage with Flowers. It didn't really matter though; it was all about him. I only heard one strong guitar solo.
With a voice full of heartache, he busted into "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas." Didn't nobody tell you? / the house will always win. I was surrounded by winners, for sure: Brandon Flowers is armed with a strong following of cougars, many of whom appeared to have come down from JoCo for an evening of $4.50 glasses of merlot, fist-pumping and swooning. (To be fair, Flowers exuded a boyish energy and showmanship that's tough to beat.)
Let's get down to brass tacks, though, people. The music is pretty much the same as the Killers, except, of course, that Brandon Flowers' man-on-the-side is Jake Blanton. Yes, the long-haired former Kansas Citian and Ghosty guitarist is Flowers' producer. He played acoustic guitar on "When You Were Young," Killers cover and final song of the night.
Opener Fran Healy might have been the most excited non-local artist I've ever seen play a show. In his thick Scottish accent, he explained that he had a special appreciation for Lawrence. "You have a good thing here," he said.
His recent debut release, Wreckorder has collaborations with Paul McCartney and Neko Case. Healy's high voice and simple guitar licks produced minimalistic but effective love songs.
Critics Bias: See second paragraph.
Random Detail: I'm still pissed at myself for not saying hello to Jake Blanton in the Liberty Hall foyer when I passed him. I knew he left KC a long time ago, but I had no idea what he was doing at the show.
Notebook Dump: When sitting in the front row of a balcony, realize you have one of the best seats in the house. Use it. Don't stand up. There are people behind you.
Set List: Brandon Flowers
On the Floor
Crossfire
Magdalena
Bette Davis Eyes
Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas
Was it Something I Said?
Hard Enough
Losing Touch (Killers cover)
Swallow It
Only the Young
Playing With Fire
Encore:
The Clock Was Tickin'
When You Were Young (Killers cover)
Set List: Fran Healy
Sing (Travis cover)
Sing Me to Sleep
Moonshine
Dear Diary (Travis cover)
As It Comes
Writing To Reach You
Buttercups
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I was there! I'm 61 and I had a glass of wine as I sat in the front balcony row. Does that make me a cougar? I think Brandon is great..since Hot Fuss came out. I was wearing his tee shirt, as I often do to promote him. But when I saw him outside the theatre as we lined up, I called out to him but he didn't look around. Very sad about that.
Nice review, saw him 5 times in the UK, at larger venues than this, but still smaller than he is used to with The Killers. It was nice, it felt intimate, but the stage still felt way too small for him.
One point though: "When sitting in the front row of a balcony, realize you have one of the best seats in the house. Use it. Don't stand up. There are people behind you." You may have forgotten you were at a rock concert. Unless you are physically unable to do so, stand the hell up and dance!
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