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Minneapolis August 9,2005 THE KILLERS NOT READY FOR PRIMETIME
The Killers: Not a
girl, not yet a woman. That, in a nutshell, sums up the problem
with the Las Vegas new-wave-of-new-wave quartet's Tuesday night
concert at Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Thanks to the runaway success of the band's
debut "Hot Fuss" -2 million sold and counting -the group can sell
out a 5,500-capacity venue, as they did Tuesday in St. Paul. But are they ready to be playing a
5,500-capacity venue? Not yet. See, the band had already postponed two
local club shows before rescheduling themselves into a venue that
holds three times as many people. Yet, they still performed as if
they were in front of a forgiving and sweaty, packed-to-the-rafters
bar instead of a cavernous auditorium populated by bored and easily
distracted suburban teens. The Killers' scant 40-minute set (and
two-song encore) suggested this foursome isn't quite ready for prime
time. To be clear, "Hot Fuss" is an excellent
disc, a deliriously hooky collection of songs that combine Duran
Duran's impeccable style with Morrissey's mordant wit. And it's
heartening that commercial radio has embraced the band beyond their
overly obvious first single, the dim-witted "Somebody Told Me." But live, foppish 24-year-old lead singer
Brandon Flowers delivered most of his band's material with a certain
impatient detachment, singing songs like "Smile Like You Mean It"
with all the passion of a man reading his telephone bill. It didn't help that the guys took the stage
at 10:15 p.m., more than hour later than planned. The youthful
audience was clearly ready to demonstrate its passion for the group
yet remained notably stoic as Flowers and his mates - decked out in
shabby-chic outfits that looked hot off the racks from the Strokes'
yard sale - opened with a lifeless take on "Jenny Was a Friend of
Mine." The first huge response arrived halfway
through the set when the Killers played "Somebody Told Me." The epic
"Andy, You're a Star"-the highlight of "Hot Fuss"
- dragged in
comparison, while many fans scratched their heads at obscure tracks
"Under the Gun" and "Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll," two previously
import-only songs that appear on an upcoming re-release of "Hot
Fuss." The most promising moment of the evening
arrived with the sole new song, "All the Pretty Faces." The
hard-driving, insanely catchy number sounds as good, if not better,
than anything on "Hot Fuss." Not only does it bode well for album
No. 2, but it also cements the idea that the Killers have already
established a signature sound. Maybe next time, they can be bothered
to actually perform in the Twin Cities, they'll have a few more
stellar newbies to join it. |
