The Kills and Cure

Finally, I'm sort of back on track for concert reviews since I've got some time.

The Kills, composed of a British guy and an expat from Florida that make garagy-type music if you want to file it under a title. Their latest, Midnight Boom, is a bit more polished than their earlier records, but that sheen has provoked some good rhythmic beats and sing-song that translate well live at the Black Cat.

They opened with "U.R.A Fever," not exactly being totally original by opening with the first song off their new record, but surprisingly appropriate to introduce themselves to an audience. With Jamie clad in a leather and Alison in her becoming signature leopard-print coat, they interacted with each other providing musicality from his guitar, her voice overs, and a drum machine. Very sparse, yet muscular in tone and presence.

Mainly sticking to their latest to provide musical foliage for the evening, some standouts included "Alphabet," "Cheap + Cheerful," "What NY Used to Be," and the highlight for me being "Last Days of Magic." That guitar that maintains through the song, and Alison's voice, man, one of the best songs of '08.

Opening for them was Telepathe, a four-piece from Brooklyn with some weird abstract, dance beats and three front women interacting with each other on vocal duties. There was a guitarist, but I rarely heard any sound from him, weird. But nice people to talk to after the show and discuss non-sensical tour routes with.

The week after, the Cure, what can you say about these guys except they are legends. Opening with "Plainsong," with the sparkly backdrop matching the sounds of the song in the beginning, awesome. And they've been around for so long that there was not a bad song in the set list. "Lullably," "Fascination Street," "Love Song", "Just Like Heaven," and even "Pornography;" which is my favorite Cure song. After nearly three hours of wall-to-wall music, I had to throw in the towel due to fatigue and leave, first time I have ever left a concert before the encore. I swear they had at least another hour or two in them, they don't make bands like that anymore. So, if you have not yet seen the Cure live, do it. And wear comfortable shoes because some amount of droning, or dancing, will occur. You can't fight the Cure.