Kings of Leon – Live @ The Murat

Concert Reviews • Monday February 2nd, 2009 • 11:24 am

Just a matter of days before their monumental debut at Madison Square Garden in New York, Kings of Leon made what I imagine is one of their last stops at the historic and much more intimate Murat Theater in Indianapolis. Everyone attending the show knew that this stood as the last chance to see this band at such a venue, as their popularity continues to rise. As the band takes the stage, their dress places them in the middle of mistaking them for random guys on the street on your way in and Rock ‘n’ Roll God status.

With a dimly lit stage they start off the night with the opening songs from their recent release Only By The Night. The bass heavy tracks “Closer” and “Crawl” set the tone for a night full of straight progression rock songs that are now layered with more intricate guitar riffs and a more varied rhythm backbone.

As the night moves forward the band only takes a breather from their relentless attack to enjoy the specific concoction that sits atop their respectful amplifiers. Lead singer Caleb Followill takes a drink of red wine a la Eddie Vedder and wipes the sweat from his forehead with a clean, white handkerchief from his pocket. They then break into a fury of classic Kings of Leon songs, including versions of “Molly’s Chambers,” “Slow Night, So Long” and “Taper Jean Girl” – songs that still possess the same grit and raw energy that attracts their fans.

Nearing the end of the first set Caleb takes a rare moment to share with the crowd that as teenagers they spent time in the city of Indianapolis with their family. The family would take trips up from Tennessee, sharing that on one such trip they got their younger, teenager brother drunk and that they have been drinking ever since. He lifted his wine glass, toasted the city and thanked us for getting them on a good path.

While more familiar songs like “On Call”, “Sex on Fire” and “Knocked Up” got the crowd to sing at the top of their lungs. It was a raucous version of “Charmer” that stole the night. With thumping bass and drums setting the groove, Caleb’s screaming vocals matched the piercing guitar parts. Before moving to the last song of the night, “Black Thumbnail”, Caleb shared his excitement for having the next couple of days off and that they were going to take advantage of it tonight. So if we saw any Southern boys out being crazy later, we were to make sure to say “hello.”

Tagged as: Indianapolis, Rock

By Carey Jones

Carey Jones

Yeah, I heard they were great. Unfortunately, I did not get to see them. They were holding anybody who was taking photos for the show in the lobby until KOL started.