Review: Kings of Leon rock on ideal night
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Kings of Leon kicked off its summer U.S. tour at SPAC on Wednesday evening, and the Nashville band didn’t disappoint.
SPAC was packed, as Kings of Leon’s official website listed the show as sold out a day or two before the event.
Featuring brothers Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill and Jared Followill, along with their cousin Matthew Followill, Kings of Leon played their old hits as well as their newest songs, which are on the album WALLS, which was released in October.
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats kicked things off on an absolutely perfect night, bringing fans to their feet early in the set. The folk/soul/ gospel variety band was a joy to hear live. The Denver-based Rateliff, rocking a tambourine, sure knows how to bring the energy. The Night Sweats ended the set with its most popular song “S.O.B,” which peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It’s a perfect song to hear live, making it nearly impossible not to tap your feet along.
Kings of Leon started its set around 8:40 p.m., and they rarely spoke during the show. Caleb said a few words following the band’s third song about how excited the band was to be in Saratoga Springs again. According to Bands In Town, Kings of Leon last played at SPAC on Aug. 10, 2014.
Kings of Leon don’t just play music. It’s much more than that. It’s an entire experience with visuals, lights and theatrics throughout. The band played heavily in Europe over the last two months, but Wednesday night was its first show in nearly three weeks, and they sounded great, playing a mix of slower numbers with the occasional louder-sounding jams.
One song, “Over,” off WALLS is considered a deeper track, but Kings of Leon routinely have played it on its tour, and Wednesday night wasn’t different. Kings of Leon opened with “Over.” The six-minute song, inspired by Caleb, features meaningful lyrics dealing with addiction. The audience seemed to really be into that song. Maybe not as much as “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody,” but for a newer song the crowd’s involvement was impressive. Kings of Leon played “Use Somebody” towards the middle of the set, while “Sex on Fire,” with a light show and all the bells and whistles, was the second to last song of the 90 or so minute show. Kings of Leon ended with a single off WALLS titled “Waste A Moment,” which is definitely a story-telling song written by Caleb. It was an appropriate choice to end an evening that featured no encore.
The weather can’t be overstated enough, which can play a factor in the overall enjoyability of a show. Even though this specific show would have rocked with light rain or a chilly breeze, it’s always refreshing to experience the ideal summer night.