Bad Idea Dept:

Kings of Leon Announce Large Venue Tour

After their recent sold out performance at Madison Square Garden in NYC, Kings of Leon have announced tour dates that will see the band playing larger venues such as arenas, amphitheaters and auditoriums.

For a band that traditionally has played sold out shows in smaller theaters in North America, the move up seems like a natural progression, but in these stressed economic times, one has to ask why the band choose to make the leap.

Long frustrated with their lack of success in the states (the band is huge in Europe, Australia etc.), it seems the band is listening to managers and their record label and not considering the fiscal dangers from having to fill 8,000 - 14,000 seats a night.

We wish them well, but have that nagging suspicion KOL will end up like Oasis where they can sell out NYC and Los Angeles and not much else between those two cities.

To read the full press release, err I mean article, go to Billboard.com

Tour Dates:
April 19: Boston (Agganis Arena)
April 21: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
April 22: Pittsburgh (Palumbo Centre)
April 24: Fairfax, Va. (Patriot Center)
April 25: Philadelphia (Spectrum)
April 27: Norfolk, Va. (Constant Convocation Centre @ ODU)
April 28: Raleigh (Koka Booth Amphitheatre)
April 30: Charlotte (Bojangles' Coliseum)
May 4: St. Augustine, Fla. (St. Augustine Amphitheatre)
May 5: Orlando, Fla. (UCF Arena)
May 7: Miami (Bank United Center)
May 8: Tampa, Fla. (Sundome)
May 10: Charleston, S.C. (North Charleston Coliseum)
May 12: Cincinnati (National City Pavilion)
May 13: Cleveland (Tower City)
May 19: Phoenix (Mesa Amphitheatre)
May 21: San Francisco (Bill Graham Civic Auditorium)

Live Review: Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA
10.18.08

It's Saturday night at the recently refurbished Warfield Theater in San Francisco, CA., and the Kings of Leon are playing the second night of a sold out two night stand in the Bay Area.

Touring in support of their recently released album, Only By The Night, KOL overcame illness to give their growing legion of fans a heavy, rocking set that showcased material off the new album and left no doubt of the band's aspirations to be as big in America as they are across the pond in Europe.

Right out of the gate, KOL set the tone for the evening with a loud, rocking version of current single "Sex on Fire". The song's driving rhythm primed both the band and the crowd to converge and sing the song's soaring anthemic chorus to the delight of everyone in the theater. If there is a Saturday night call to arms, this song is the sound of that call.


KOL stoked the crowd's fire by following the opener with the one-two combination of "My Party" off 2007's Because of the Times, and "Razz" off of 2005's Aha Shake Heartbreak, keeping the pace of the show Ramones-esque with a rapid fire succession of songs with little-to-no pauses between them.

Playing against a bare-bones backdrop, KOL's new direction into bigger, anthemic rock connected with fans on songs like "Use Somebody", "On Call" and the drifty "Revelery", but the band's past was not abondoned: classic songs off Aha Shake Heartbreak like "Taper Jean Girl", "Slow Night So Long" and "Milk" blended seamlessly with the newer material.

Performing with the tight finesse of a seasoned road band, KOL's confident stage presence and delivery made one forget how young the guys in the band are age-wise. Battling a flu bug, frontman Caleb Followill shrugged off the illness to make that important emotional connection with the audience and was careful not to shred his already marbled vocals, while babyfaced guitarist and flat iron enthusiast Matthew Followill focused on playing some haunting, ethereal lead guitar that would have made The Edge smile in approval.


Songs off Only by the Night, showed the band continuing to mine the atmospherics of early U2 and merge that style with their earlier indie rock take on southern blues boogie. But where U2 were looking for God on the streets of Las Vegas, KOL stay focused on the complexities of getting laid and the dreaded politics of the morning after.

Drummer Nathan Followill was the MVP of the night, with his heavy, driving back beat that anchored songs like "Knocked Up" (a show highlight) and "The Bucket" among others. Bassist Jared Followill locked into some serious grooves with fellow brother Nathan and continued to explore his recent interest in fuzzed out basslines on newer songs like "Charmer" and "Crawl".

If there was anything to gripe about, it was the band's short set. 90 minutes later and the crowd found itself back on the sidewalk of Market Street before 11 PM. With four albums to pull from, the band should be able to give fans a meatier setlist. Where was "Be Somebody" off the new album (one of the newer, more dynamic songs begging for a spot in the live show)? Where was fan favorite "Trani" or "McFearless"?

Perhaps it was frontman Caleb's mystery illness that shortened the show, but if KOL want to continue to expand it's fanbase and graduate to larger venues, it needs the musical muscle to make each show unique in its own right.

Setlist complaints aside, Kings of Leon gave longtime fans and new converts a great musical primer to their Saturday night exploits in the city.

Setlist:

Sex on Fire
My Party
Razz
Molly’s Chambers
Taper Jean Girl
King of the Rodeo
Fans
Revelry
Milk
Four Kicks
The Bucket
Use Somebody
On Call
Closer
Cold Desert
Charmer
Slow Night, So Long

-encore-

Knocked Up
Manhattan
Crawl

YouTube videos courtesy of a fan and used without permission.

Album Review: Only By the Night

The dark side to wearing skin tight jeans is that at some point, you start taking yourself seriously.

After spending the previous three albums singing about all the wang dang sweet poontang that's been hurled their way, Kings of Leon get introspective and swing for the arena rock rafters with their new album Only By the Night.

Night finds the band further embracing the atmospheric 80s rock explored on previous album Because of the Times to mixed effect.

When it works, you get haunting, thunderous rockers like "Be Somebody" or the Secret Machines-esque "Crawl" and moody mid-tempo songs like album opener "Closer".

When it doesn't work, you are stuck in power ballad hell with no escape. "Use Somebody" and "17" are cliched-ridden 80s arena epics that takes you back to some John Water's high school dance teen flick, only there's no irony.

What happened to these guys? KOL want to play to packed arenas in their homeland the way they do in Europe. The snarl and reckless disdain that made their debut Youth and Young Manhood and follow up Aha Shake Heartbreak so much fun have been replaced by Bono/Vedder-esque introspection and ham-fisted arena rock balladry.

KOL are best when they're rocking songs about partying, drugs and women and not worrying about the consequences. Album single "Sex on Fire" is pure proof of this: a bouncy rock riff and rhythm pinging off each other like something off of A Ha Shake Heartbreak, and a chorus that makes absolutely no sense, yet manages to seep into your subconscious until you are screaming "This sex is on fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire" to strangers on the street.

Despite not being as big in the USA as they are abroad, the Kings of Leon created a mystique with their first two albums that had music fans checking them out in increasing numbers. Aha Shake Heartbreak became the type of underground hipster album to throw on at a party like Paul's Boutique was during the 90s.

With Only By the Night, KOL (and most likely their record company) want to move some units. It's understandable to want to grow your audience and find success, but to embrace such horrifying musical cliches is a step in the wrong direction.

Is it about the music, the women or the money? For KOL, it was always about the women, then the music. Now it's about the money.

Purchase Only By The Night here from Amazon.

Kings of Leon will perform this Saturday on SNL. James Franco is the host.

Magic Bus: Tour Dates, Tour Dates

The Fall tours are getting booked, rumors are being leaked and anticipation levels are rising:

Kings of Leon announced via their mailing list the itinerary for their fall tour supporting their new album Only By the Night.

The Dates:

September
23 New York, NY Webster Hall w/The Whigs

October (w/The Stills and We Are Scientists)
11 Las Vegas, NV The Joint
12 San Diego, CA House of Blues
15 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theatre
17 and 18 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
20 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
21 Portland, OR Schnitzer Hall
23 Denver, CO The Fillmore Auditorium
25 Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
26 Oklahoma City, OK Bricktown Events Center
28 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
29 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom
31 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom

November (w/The Whigs and We Are Scientists)
1 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre
3 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
5 Milwaukee, WI The Eagles Ballroom
7 Toronto, ONT Kool Haus
8 Detroit, MI The Fillmore
10 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall
12 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
15 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Ballroom
18 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
19 Nashville, TN Nashville Municipal Auditorium

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals have begun dropping hints that albums will be released in the Fall. According to Live Daily, there are possibly two albums being put together: a RATC album titled The Cardinals III/IV and an presently untitled solo album from Ryan Adams. While fans enter the favorite pastime of endless speculation on various message boards, the band has confirmed some Fall tour dates:

August 2008
23 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
26 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater (w/ Oasis)
27 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place (w/ Oasis)
29 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place (w/ Oasis)
30 - Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome (w/ Oasis)

September 2008
1 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Center (w/ Oasis)
4 - Ottawa, Ontario - Scotiabank Palace (w/ Oasis)
5 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre (w/ Oasis)
7 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
9 - London, Ontario - John LaBatt Center (w/ Oasis)
25 - Schenectady, NY - Proctor's Theater
26 - Syracuse, NY - Landmark Theater
27 - Rochester, NY - Auditorium Theater
29 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theater
30 - Cleveland, OH - Palace Theater

October 2008
2 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
3 - St. Louis, MO - Fox Theater
5 - Madison, WI - Overture Hall

Monday Music News

Alright, it's time for some Monday music news...on Tuesday:

According to British music rag NME, the Kings of Leon have announced the tracklisting for their forthcoming album Only By The Night. The band recently gave away the song "Crawl" as a free download through their site. The first single is scheduled to be "Sex on Fire".


Here's the tracklisting:

Closer
Crawl
Sex On Fire
Use Somebody
Manhattan
Revelry
Seventeen
Notion
I Want You
Be Somebody
Cold Desert

In the early 90s, rap star Dr. Dre wanted you to get fucked up on gin and smoke some chronic weed while listening to his music, now as he prepares to release his "final" album Detox, he wants you to get indulge in some cognac, specifically his own brand of Aftermath Cognac. According to Billboard.com, Dre's album will drop in "November or December" parallel to the release of his cognac. I guess it's better than wanting his fans to get high on cat urine.





Fans of Rage Against the Machine lead singer Zack de la Rocha have been waiting about a decade for the dude to drop his solo album. After enduring 8 years of Bush/Cheney and not a peep from Rage or Zack, fans will be happy to know that he and ex Mars Volta drummer John Theodore have teamed up to record and release an EP of music titled One Day as a Lion. The project merges elements of hip hop, punk and electronic to create a canvas for de la Rocha to spit his rhymes about how much Bush sucks and our country is fucked. Check out the band's myspace and website.

In Rage related news, the band is confirmed to play the Minneapolis' Target Center on September 3rd - the same day as the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. I smell a riot going on.


Finally, some really lame news: After a show at Montreal's Osheaga Festival, Iggy Pop and The Stooges' gear was stolen from the back of their rental truck. A full list of the stolen gear is available here. Despite this setback, the band has soldiered on using rented and donated gear to continue their tour. Rock on Iggy, rock on.

Monday Music News

The ennui of summer continues, but as we enter the second half of the season, bands who have been on the road are slugging it out night after night in the name of rock and bands that have been off the radar for a bit are gearing up for the Fall:

Kings of Leon have begun their promotional duties for their upcoming album, Only By the Night. The album will be released September 23rd through RCA, but in the meantime, you can freely download the first single "Crawl" through British music rag NME. You can also enjoy some behind-the-scenes home movies like this one:







Tom Waits is currently in Europe wrapping up his all too brief "Glitter and Doom" tour, but fans can enjoy a stream of his recent July 5th stop at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, GA, through the good folks at NPR Music.

Buy Orphans [Fold-out Digipak with 24-page booklet]Here







Here's the setlist:

Lucinda / Ain't Going Down to the Well
Down in the Hole
Falling Down
Chocolate Jesus
All the World Is Green
Cemetery Polka
Cause of It All
Till the Money Runs Out
Such a Scream
November
Hold On
Black Market Baby
9th and Hennepin
Lie to Me
Lucky Day
On the Nickel
Lost in the Harbor
Innocent When You Dream
Hoist That Rag
Make It Rain
Dirt in the Ground
Get Behind the Mule
Hang Down Your Head
Jesus Gonna Be Here
Singapore

ENCORE

Eyeball Kid
Anywhere I Lay My Head

[Photo Credit: Bob Butler, copyright 2008 NPR]

Once you are at the NPR site digging on the Tom Waits show, why not enjoy a live recording of Spiritualized as well? This is from the July 25th show at Washington DC's famous 9:30 Club. J. Spaceman and his band of cosmic rockers are currently on tour in support of their fine new release Songs in A + E.

Buy Songs in A&E Here

Lastly, it's been a while since we've had any news on the Drive By Truckers, who continue to tour in support of their 08 release Brighter Than Creations Dark. Below is the video for "Ghost to Most". Enjoy

Good News: Rock 'n Roll Is Still Alive

According to entertainment magazine Rolling Stone, the Kings of Leon have recently completed recordings for their next album. In addition to using musical instruments and a recording studio, KOL brothers Caleb and Nathan Followill punched each other up, ate a bunch of pain medication and drank copious amounts of booze to come up with a new batch of kick ass songs.

Best line of the article: “We had to get drunk because we all have girlfriends to go home to and deal with,” he says, before passing the phone to drummer Nathan, who adds, “Caleb just blew a .12 on the Breathalyzer we have here.”

The new album is tentatively due in the Fall of 2008.