Kings Of Leon Take Over Hamilton, World

Copps Coliseum

Hamilton, ON

on Sep 19 2009

Zack Vitiello (CHARTattack)

09/21/2009 4:32pm

In my review of Kings Of Leon's probably last-ever Toronto club show, I noted their post-Only By The Night sound was destined for venues much bigger than Kool Haus.

In less than a year, Kings Of Leon have proven that assumption totally accurate, conquering stadiums throughout North America, and having already proven to Torontonians just a few months ago that they are the next big stadium rockers, the Kings extended their tour to include some of Canada's smaller cities. Their Saturday concert at Hamilton, Ont.'s Copps Coliseum was a stunning testament that fully justified their position on the top-rung of contemporary rock 'n' roll music.

It was fitting, then, that the Kings brought Glasvegas to open the concert. The Glasgow, Scotland quartet are perhaps the only new band out there with a sound that's even bigger than KOL's, and played an hour-long set to a relatively empty stadium.

Those who weren't standing in line to pound beers, however, were treated to guitar-heavy, reverb-drenched versions of their self-titled debut's best tracks — "Flowers & Football Tops," "Geraldine" and "Go Square Go" found singer James Allan's delayed vocals slinking into every inch of the massive space. This lot have an incredible command of music and performance already down pat, and it's just a matter of time until they headline their own stadium tour.

I was still secretly hoping that Kings Of Leon would sound like the trashy, down-south rock band I once knew them as, but it quickly became apparent that wouldn't be the case at all. The instant the band came on stage to the atmospheric guitar fuzz of "Closer," it was clear that in the 10 months since I last saw them, the Kings have upped the wattage and perfected the art of grandiose rock anthems.

To be sure, this was a concert for the new fans — Kings Of Leon played every song off the new album with the exception of "17." And while the Kings reserved half of the set for tracks from their previous two discs, Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because Of The Times, even the best songs of the band's career (like "Taper Jean Girl" and "Black Thumbnail") were met with many a blank stare. I'm convinced the two screaming girls beside me had no idea the band even had other albums, and were quick to leave the second hit-single "Use Somebody" concluded, not even sticking around for the final encore.

Not being the strongest supporter of their new material, I was thoroughly surprised just how well the tracks off Only By The Night translated into a stadium setting. Besides "Sex On Fire" and "Use Somebody," which were clearly designed to be played to tens of thousands and were appropriately met with some of the most uproarious applause I have ever seen, "Manhattan" and "Revelry" contained all the shimmering guitar jingles and singalong-ness needed to raise the voices and arms of everyone in attendance.

While Caleb and the Followill relatives have never been much for showmanship, rarely matching the intensity of their music with their stage performance, this concert found them more engaging than usual, if just a bit.

During a surprise closing performance of Youth & Young Manhood's "Trani," Caleb shook his sweaty hair around like a wet dog for five minutes, but it still wasn't enough to fill the entire massive stage. Instead, the band relied on an impressive lighting setup and video screens to bolster the energy.

In the future, they'd be wise to take some cues from Glasvegas' stage-show — why have risers in front of the stage if you're not going to go out and play on them?

As a frontman, however, Caleb has certainly come into his own, showing confidence in both his singing and his banter. Somewhere near the middle of the set, he stated that Kings Of Leon are "about to take over." In writing, I'm sure this sounds horribly arrogant, but to all 19,000+ people in the sold-out venue, the assertion was so blatantly obvious that it couldn't possibly be taken as cocky. Indeed, in the minds of many (myself included), the takeover is already complete.

Here's what Kings Of Leon played:

"Closer"
"Crawl"
"Charmer"
"Be Somebody"
"Taper Jean Girl"
"Molly Chambers"
"Fans"
"Milk"
"Revelry"
"I Want You"
"The Bucket"
"Four Kicks"
"Sex On Fire"
"Notion"
"Manhattan"
"On Call"
"Cold Desert"
"Trani"

Encore:
"Knocked Up"
"Use Somebody"
"Black Thumbnail"