Local Long Beach boys Cold War Kids played a sizzling 90-minute set in front of a sold-out audience at the Orpheum in Los Angeles last Friday, defying expectations of a subdued performance in the historic seated theater. The entire house was on their feet five songs into a set that included every fan-favorite in their catalogue as well as the fantastic unreleased track Audience Of One, a definite show highlight.
The packed Orpheum theater was relatively subdued through opener Crystal Antlers’ set, despite an earnest effort from the L.A. club regulars. Once the Kids filed into place and the pounding piano chords of I’ve Seen Enough (off last year’s Loyalty To Loyalty) began, the room came unexpectedly alive, an instant chorus of open throats and clapping hands. This was far and away the least “LA” crowd I’ve been in the company of at a show in the area; nobody appeared too cool to shake their ass, stomp their feet and sing along. It nearly brought me to tears. The sitting spells from that point forward were sparse, reserved for the minimal moments of quiet when singer Nathan Willett walked down the soft road. There was plenty of stomp-joy action to be found in the rest of their set, such as the folk-stomp jam Something Is Not Right With Me, Hang Me Up To Dry and Saint John, which was left off the setlist but is a known show-closer that’s evolved over time to a swaggering throbber of a song, building from an entirely reworked, jagged first verse to an electric full-audience singalong. Here’s a clip from the song:
I’d always considered R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills to be among the best backup singers in rock, for both ability and compatibility with their frontman (listen to It’s The End Of The World As We Know It if you don’t believe me). Cold War Kids’ guitarist Jonnie Russell makes a hell of a run for a spot on that list, matching Willett’s energy and passion across the board.
He’s the secret Cold War weapon, and looking back at the progression of recorded material the band has put out over the years it’s suddenly clear that the signs have been there all along. He’s slowly but surely stepped up to a full-fledged power player within the band, and based on his evolved contribution to the new(ish) track Audience Of One, it’s a pretty safe bet that he’ll be a stronger presence on the next album.
The seats stayed filled till the very end, thanks to a fantastically paced setlist and a slow-build encore. They trotted out the old Heavy Boots, off their early Mulberry Street EP, which wasn’t on the setlist and received a roar of approval at the onset and conclusion. The chorus of Dreams Old Men Dream lifted the crowd to a near-euphoric level of captivation. It’s one of those moments you refer back to when describing why a recording of the performance will never replace actually being there.
After the increasingly potent Coffee Spoon, the fuzzed-bass start to Relief produced drew a huge reception, which carried well into the beginning of Willett’s flawless falsetto melody.
Suffice to say, the Cold War Kids put on a rockin’ goddamned show. It’s impossible not to lose yourself in the moment when the entire crowd is stomping like drunken 19th century barroom patrons, cheering on the band like their family’s up onsage at the Apollo. They’ll be coming back around in a few weeks with Death Cab For Cutie, so mark your calendars and save your pennies. That pairing is not to be missed.
Also, stay tuned for a next-morning interview I did with singer Nathan Willett about the upcoming tour, new songs and more.
