"We love Austin, except during football season."...and as boos echoed through the Frank Erwin Center, it may have been the only moment of the night that the crowd of about 10,000 or so, were not loving everything Caleb
Followill was doing. I had to agree though with his follow up statement:
"At least I had the balls to say it." Yes it's true, the Kings of Leon are
Oklahoma Sooner fans. Other than that, it seemed like the Tennessee quartet of brothers could do no wrong.
The
KOL show Tuesday night seemed to have the feel of a 70's arena rock show in the early days of the Erwin Center; affectionately known as The Drum. As I sat there and listened to music with influences of southern rock, blues and alternative it was easy to imagine what this arena looked and sounded like in the late 70's and early 80's when all the big names in rock played there. The
Followill brothers played a blistering set after a a great opening set from Band of Horses. It was a pairing of bands that had most fans in their seats by 8 PM, in order to catch them both. Tearing through hits like
Radioactive, Sex on Fire, and
Use Somebody the
KOL delivered what is not seen much theses days; a good arena rock concert. It was refreshing to see a band be able to do that even though critics like to claim that rock is dead. Clearly this is not the case.
A great
fireworks finale helped us all remember it wasn't 1977 but rather 2011 and that even though it seems like the music industry would rather throw their record deals at the glossy, manufactured pop acts that seemed to replicate overnight, good rock-n-roll still exists. I mean seriously, is there anything better than a great arena rock show? The Stones and
Zep in the 70's. Petty and U2 in the 80's. Those were some great times for concert goers. Last night helped remind us of that!!!
Feeling as if we were the youngest attendees in the crowd, Laura and I settled in for a relaxing show after a wonderful dinner in the new 2nd St. District area of downtown. (Laura already wants to move down there) I must say that I was very impressed with Mr. Bennett. At 84 years old, I find it hard to imagine him sounding any better than he did. I can't say I knew many of the songs performed but there were a few I recognized: The Way You Look Tonight, The Good Life, Smile (thanks Seinfeld), Cold, Cold Heart, and of course I Left My Heart In San Francisco. Along with his tight backing band, Mr. Bennett dazzled the packed house with his ageless vocals. He purred the softer notes and rocketed the bigger ones to the moon.
During breaks in between songs, Mr. Bennett shared interesting stories from along his illustrious career. From being discovered by Pearl Bailey in 1949 along with Rosemary Clooney, in a talent show to how Bob Hope gave him his stage name. He talked of how grateful Charlie Chaplin was for reviving one of his (Chaplin's) songs. For me personally, it was these moments that made the evening not only a show but a stroll down "Music History Memory Lane". There aren't too many artists out there performing who have the ability to do this. That made this evening special for me. It is not abnormal for a touring artist to compliment the city they are playing on any given night, but there was something very genuine and sincere about Mr. Bennett saying that the "sweet town" of Austin he played many decades ago, has become "the most beautiful, bright city in the country". I couldn't agree with him more...thanks Tony!!
I can't claim to be a Janet Jackson die-hard or even much of a fan, but I also can't say that I haven't seen her career unfold over the last few decades. Through secret marriages and wardrobe malfunctions to Poetic Justice, it is hard not to have noticed her through the years. If last night was anything, it was a victory lap of sorts for Jackson and the small, intimate Moody Theatre was the perfect place for me to see this pop icon.
