photos by Chris Gayomali. See more photos HERE.
Long Beach, CA's finest
The Cold War Kids brought 150 decibels of dogmatic hootenanny to a "souled" out Webster Hall crowd last night.
The foursome had the entire auditorium brimming from top to bottom with ferocious, gospel stomp energy, playing old fan favorites like "Hang Me Out to Dry" interspersed with selections from
their latest album,
Loyalty to Loyalty.
The Cold War Kids opened the set with a booming rendition of "We Used to Vacation" off their
Robberts and Cowards LP. Guitarist
Jonnie Russell and bassist
Matt Maust
had some sort of telekinetic connection on stage, putting on frenetic displays of showmanship like a well oiled machine-- all without sacrificing musicality or taking a breather.
Lead vocalist
Matt Willet pounded his black and white keys with equal fervor, howling into the microphone and conducting the crowd like a preacher on an electrified pulpit.
Their newest single, "Something is Not Right With Me", was a rousing, fist in the air shout-along, while the standout of the night was a stir-in-your gut performance of crowd favorite
"Hospital Beds." The band ended their set with a chaotic rendition of "Saint John" that brought a trombone and clarinet (!!!) on stage in addition to errant flying cymbals.
All in all, The Cold War Kids put on immensely satisfying show that proved these guys are in it for the long haul. Catch them on the remaining legs of their tour while you can.
- chris gayomali
Tour dates:
10/16 Brooklyn, NY - Williamsburg Music Hall
10/17 Philadelphia, PA - TOLA
10/18 Washington, DC - Nightclub 9:30
10/20 Carrabo, NC - Cat's Cradle
10/21 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
10/23 Ft. Worth, TX - Lola's
10/24 Austin, TX - Emo's
10/25 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
10/26 New Orleans, LA - Voodoo
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The Cold War Kids @ MySpace