So after a long dry spell of zero concerts this year, even though we did have tickets to certain ones in the DC area (ie. The Cure(!) and Angels & Airwaves), and we did try to see some in NYC a few weeks ago (Vampire Weekend), we finally ended the silence with none other than...[drum roll]...The Killers!!!
You couldn't believe my surprise when I first heard they were performing in CT, of all places. But then I saw the rest of their US tour dates, and they are hitting east coast casinos - MGM Grand at Foxwoods and Borgata in AC, then the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden before heading to Canada and then Europe.
Holy smokes! Right in our backyard, well, an hour or so away. Driving through Hartford to get to Foxwoods during rush hour was not a treat, but we made it with about 50 minutes to spare before the opening act, Red Romance (the same band as in the Boston show we went to in Oct '06), hit the stage. The new MGM Grand was very hard to miss as it now blocks and seems to tower over Foxwoods. The casino itself, at least the one we walked by to get to the theater is actually quite small in comparison to "the largest casino in the world" Foxwoods. It does have a bar in the middle of it as well as Shrine, which is a club/bar/restaurant, on the opposite wall from the theater.
Before entering the theater, we stood "in line" (as it was just a blob of people) for some merch. I ended up buying 2 shirts, before later finding out that I could have saved myself $15. Whoops!
Here's a quick clip of the interior of the theater, taken by Brian, right before one of the staff members approached us and said no audio recording during the show.
*notice our kickass seats*
A waitress walked down the aisle and asked us if we wanted anything to drink. With some hesitation, we did end up getting a $6 can of Bud ($4.50 + tip) to share. Wearing a tube top plus the cold beer just added to my shivers as the theater was well air-conditioned.
But enough about that...on to the show.
Red Romance performed well, having songs with mostly upbeat catchy melodies, in front of a half-filled theater. Sitting in my seat, it was a non-stop foot stomping good time. I'm a new fan and will most likely add a new shirt to my collection. But I couldn't help but be distracted for most of the performance, trying to think of a song I thought they sang and heard on the radio. There was supposedly a 30-minute intermission, which ran almost 45-minutes long. We took this opportunity to rid ourselves of the beer that we just drank.
The anticipation was killing me, being completely antsy and gittery. When the lights dimmed, the first six rows rushed towards the stage, which had been roped off about 3 feet from the stage. One of the ushers that stood near me stopped anyone not in those first rows from rushing as well as to not block the aisle. Thank goodness for that. Otherwise it would have been a complete mob.
Brian and I actually stayed put, having an already 'killer' view, and with no one in front of me for the next 3 rows, there wasn't the hassle of trying to see over someone's head. Mark, the bassist/guitarist, was directly in front me at eye level. Awesome - I felt like he could look into my soul.
Brandon, the lead singer, addressed the audience a few times during the show. Near the beginning, he said, "We were driving up the 95 today, and I saw a little piece of heaven out my window and said what was that, and they said that's Connecticut. It's a beautiful place you have here. And it's also got a little bit of Las Vegas which we like, where we are today. Makes us feel like home."
Brian and I looked at each other after the beautiful comment.
Anywho, I try to mix pleasure with pleasure (pleasure being documenting shows), so I brought one of my dSLR's, but after just taking 19 shots, I was approached and asked to not use my dSLR as requested by the band. I wasn't about to go against the wishes of the band, so I immediately put it down and took our dinky point and shoot from Brian. Pretty 'point'less as all my attempts at photographing while in a completely crazed and excited state resulted in blurry photos. But you can get an idea from these how amazing the show was.
Setlist:
For Reasons Unknown
Somebody Told Me
Shadowplay
Sweet Talk
Bones
Spaceman
Tranquilize
When You Were Young
Under the Gun
Sam's Town
Smile Like You Mean It
Read My Mind
Neon Tiger
Mr. Brightside
Encore:
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine
This River is Wild
All These Things That I've Done
Their shows are WAY too short, especially with all the great material they have. It seems like they're sticking to a 17-song setlist. It's rare that they play any more than that. They were on for less than 90 minutes, and I was hoping...no, dying to hear Glamourous Indie Rock & Roll again like in Boston. Their show at the Orpheum is still my favorite concert experience even though Brian and I were separated (see set list below).
Some fan, or rather, fans were certainly going to do some video-ing, and just for kicks, here are a few, courtesy of youtube.com
clip of "When You Were Young" by PsypherSCSU
"Spaceman" by thatguysinger
clip of "Read My Mind" by brunettkillers
"Sam's Town" by roxydog79
clip of last few seconds by rainyburb :)
(sigh)
Afterwards, with the throngs of people trying to exit the parking lot, sitting in our car, we decided to ditch the effort and do some exploring. We did our own little tour of MGM Grand, and then headed to Foxwoods where we grabbed a bite to eat at none other than Hard Rock. Quite appropriate, I think.
Can't wait for their new album to come out (Tuesday, November 25th) and for the next time we get to see them!
Boston's Orpheum Set List:
sams town
enterlude
when you were young
somebody told me
smile like you mean it
bones
bling
read my mind
jenny was a friend of mine
uncle johnny
glamourous indie rock & roll
midnight show
mr. brightside
---
my list
for reasons unknown
all these things that ive done
exitlude
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