Photo by snyman
“A lot of people have lost faith in us but… fuck it, we’re having the time of our lives!” Kings of Leon’s Caleb Followill proclaimed before tearing through their smash-hit “Sex on Fire,” the center-piece of their 2-hour headlining set Friday night.
On a day where seven-plus hours of rainfall was the talk of Lollapalooza, Kings of Leon arrived at dusk to help everyone forget they had been thoroughly soaked in the hours prior. Other highlights from the former southern-rockers turned arena-rockers were crowd-pleasing sing-a-longs “Use Somebody,” “On Call,” and “My Party.”
The crowd was as never-ending as the Lollapalooza.com Facebook tool had predicted, and at the start, unexpectedly rowdy. Having spent most of Ben Folds weaving through the crowd and then staying firmly planted during the Decemberists, I found myself roughly 30 feet from the stage. There, for three or four songs, a pack of rabid 16-year-olds were jumping and running around like it was a metal show. The Kings calmed things down with a blue-lit rendition of “Closer” followed by “Crawl” and the crowd somewhat mellowed.
Another surprise was the lack of females represented in the areas nearest to the stage. I had expected a college-aged version of a Jonas Brothers crowd, but that didn’t happen. The ladies were definitely out there, though, and showcased their love for the Followills during “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody.” Both hits were met with huge ovations and word-for-word crowd singing.
During another break in the set, Caleb dedicated the night’s performance to a young girl that the band had met before the show. Aside from that, and the fact that she’s apparently “one of the most beautiful girls” he’s ever met, Caleb didn’t offer any more information. But somewhere out there, a young girl was very happy. Caleb also took the time to let us know he was getting drunk tonight, and that they’d “be here all night, so come hook up with us if you want to.” (What that actually means, I’m not sure.)
The Kings’ setlist included everything one would expect – a mix of songs leaning a bit heavier on the side of the most recent album. Caleb, the heartbreaking howler of a frontman, was easily the most valuable player for the evening. His unique, soulful voice sounds great in the studio and translates wonderfully to the stage. His vocals are best put on display during the Because of the Times rocker “Charmer.”
The Kings closed out the night with “Black Thumbnail,” Caleb waved goodbye, flashed his belly, and hit the road. The crowd audibly wanted an encore, but having ran through nearly everything that they have to offer, it was clear to me that the crowd’s request wouldn’t be granted. Weak chants of “one more song” were met with a P.A. announcer telling the crowd to begin making their way to the fountain in the center of the park or toward the nearest exit.
A lot has been made of this year’s cast of headliners, which many believe to be weaker than previous years. Kings of Leon didn’t deliver a performance that measures up to that of ‘08’s Radiohead or Nine Inch Nails – but that’s a lot to live up to. That said, it was a solid show by a tight band of brothers (and cousin). The pressure is now on for Tool, The Killers, and especially Jane’s Addiction to prove that this cast of headliners are Lollapalooza worthy.
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