I’m so happy that I got to see Kings at Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge in Washington this past spring... What a perfect venue for such a band and being 20 feet from the stage - pretty exciting stuff.
There are so many bands out there with amazing talent and albums, but when you see them live, well, what can I say but that it's a disappointment.
Not so with Kings... in fact, it's more the opposite - them Live, is a pleasure to watch, not just delivering on every song, but intensely being conscious of their fans the soul of the band really shines through – almost as if it’s recognizing the privilege to be performing in front of so many people, a pride in what they do, but humbly aware of both their roots and the fragileness of the career choice they’ve made, recognizing that it will probably one day be over, and they’ll again find their ‘paint cans’ & be painting houses.
Maybe because I’m an artist, it's about the simplicity, or the purity of live music that captures the audience along with an energy that must pervade every venue, every show, every person - it's about delivering every time, all the passion and energy and with intensity regardless of What is going on in your life, and that's exactly what they do. From the reviews from last night’s concert, it appears that that is again the case, which is a disappointment as I wasn’t there to see it.
Death rarely comes at a convenient time, and as life would have it, my Uncle keeled over with a massive heart attack Sunday night and as the family descended on Alberta for the funeral I found myself at a loss. Although I was glad that I got my money back for my amazing seats, I was torn - do I ditch the family (pre-funeral, who I love but haven't seen some in years) and go to the concert (which I didn't do...).
I find this somewhat strange because I see concerts all the time, and if I miss one well, whatever. For whatever reason, last night it was all I could do to stay at home and not go down to the dome (even in my sweats & half corked from drinking with my family) and buy a scalped ticket and go to the show... very strange, this!
I suppose it's sort of like Bon Iver (amazing - now if you haven't heard of them, LOOK them up, totally different genre, but tremendous stuff… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePatJIwB-sI).
Caleb somehow, cocky and arrogant yet almost meekly manages to reach out and grab you by the scruff of the neck and pulls you so close with his lyrics that he dares you to look into his eyes and into his soul, to taste the passion and anger; to smell the sweat and feel the power of being so close... It’s a raw passion which they perform show after show, album after album and every few songs, flick a much coveted pick into a crowd of adoring fans; it’s what I aspire to do with my music, and few have.
Maybe it's because in some strange way I can relate to facets of them... being raised in a religious family before 'finding music', growing up in a 'hick-town' where no one expects you to go anywhere; from being emotionally beaten up by an ex or having no outlet except music along with a brother who is far more talented than I, that gets that part of me... I don't know but its heady stuff. Whatever the case, for as much as has happened in my life this year, even 50 years from now, KOL will be the theme song for 2009, for me.
So for a first show in Calgary, people didn't really know... didn't see Kings outside of a couple of songs religiously played on the radio, but after last night, I believe you got our attention, more collectively.
Kings, are here to stay.
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