A capacity crowd on hand to watch alternative rockers the Killers and Hot Hot Heat walked away cold, pleased and with an abundance of free time left Friday night.
Fans of both bands treated the bands to warm ovations, but were loathe to leave when the Killers finished their encore at 10:30 p.m. after one hour of music on an unusually cold late spring night.
A rumored other support band never materialized, forcing patrons – some of whom had camped out since the early afternoon – to wait for Hot Hot Heat to take the stage at 8 p.m.
The rain that had been threatening all day held off as the band took the stage, with frontman Steve Bays wearing a coat that defies description. The band played a setlist slightly favoring its second album, “Elevator.”
But from the opening notes of “Running Out of Time,” something seemed amiss. The tight rhythms and changing tempos of the band’s albums seemed slightly out of sync on stage. And Bays seemed unable to hit a single high note.
This became especially evident on tracks such as “This Town,” from debut album “Make Up the Breakdown.” When the song hit the chorus and Bays had to hold a high note for longer than a split-second, the result made much of the audience cringe.
The band dedicated “No, Not Now” to radio station CD101 – and breakout single “Bandages” to the Killers – as fans in the pit bounced to every word.
Hot Hot Heat did have its high moments, however. With “Jingle Jangle,” the band seemed to finally find its rhythm. “Island of the Honest Man” and “Goodnight, Goodnight” sounded as good live as on record, but the occasional solid song was not enough to overshadow Bays’ lack of range or the band’s onstage looseness.
As soon as bassist Dustin Hawthorne threw his guitar on the stage, a new level of excitement began buzzing through Promowest Pavilion. It was obvious who the majority of the crowd was there to see: the Killers.
The band played nearly its entire album “Hot Fuss,” as well as a b-side – “Under the Gun,” from the “Somebody Told Me” EP – and a few new tracks. Frontman Brandon Flowers was magnanimous, ruling the stage like royalty from start to finish.
“We’ve got some stories to tell you tonight,” Flowers said to the crowd while taking the stage in a red, waist-length raincoat.
Hit singles “Somebody Told Me,” “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” and “Mr. Brightside” were nothing short of stunning. Other fan favorites from “Hot Fuss” such as “Change Your Mind” and “Midnight Show” sounded even more alive and exciting than on the album.
When the band hit the chorus of “Andy, You’re a Star” bathed in white light, the audience seemed transfixed. Flowers was preaching a gospel, and every fan devoured each word.
The night ended with the crowd singing “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier” back to Flowers as he stood on the drum riser for “All These Things That I’ve Done.”
“Lemme hear those beautiful voices,” Flowers said, conducting the crowd with one outstretched hand like a preacher.
Between the two bands, fans heard less than two hours worth of music – barely worth the cost of admission. The Killers might have killed, but both bands were lacking in back-catalog.
A full setlist was the only thing missing from an otherwise solid rock concert. If the Killers correct that the next time they come around, few will leave their show disappointed.
