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Cold War Kids Heat Up The Vic |
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Written by GABRIELLE PRATO / Photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN
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Sunday, 14 February 2010 |
On Saturday night at the Vic Theater, all was abuzz with anticipation as the indie rock band Cold War Kids took the stage. The native Cold War Kids’ sound is edgy yet soulful, a fusion of rock and blues their ballads produce a sound reminiscent of artists as diverse as Billie Holiday, the Black Keys and the Velvet Underground. Lead singer Nathan Willet charms and hypnotizes with his gritty, blues induced tones on songs such as “Hospital Beds” and “Saint John”, reminding us of a more soulful Jack White.
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Cold War Kids and Alec Ounsworth
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The Vic
Chicago, IL
January 30, 2010
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The band formed in 2004, in Fullerton, CA and began recording their EP for Monarchy Music almost immediately after the band members began playing together. The Cold War Kids spent the next year touring with other up and coming bands of the time such as The Editors and The Figurines. The band rapidly established a fan base due to their catchy yet enthralling tunes and their unique sound. In 2007, the band released their full album, Robbers & Cowards which featured the popular single “Hang Me up To Dry” which steadily became an indie anthem.
The show opened with a set from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s Alec Ounsworth that was honestly a better prescription for the sleep deprived than a Lunesta. The songs put concertgoers in a sort of trance –and we aren’t talking about the kind you hear in nightclubs.
I looked around during a non-descript song to find every person in the venue holding conversations with each other rather than listening to the music. But what Alec Ounsworth lacked, Cold War Kids certainly made up for during their astonishingly expressive and affecting set. The Cold War Kids organized the concert to perfection beginning their set with songs from their new album, such as “Audience” and frequently bringing us back to their classic songs such as “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Hospital Beds.” Highlights of the night included, “Saint John” which was truly an extraordinary and spiritual experience which the crowd reacted to with reverence and enthusiasm; the finale of the evening, “We Used to Vacation” was one of the Cold War Kid’s most emotive songs with a slight political commentary that makes it edgy and unique and was also a remarkable performance.
The Cold War Kids enchanted Chicago once again with their unforgettable ballads and this writer thinks it to be one of the top three concerts I have ever attended. A very impressive set, one of the few bands I have witnessed recently who represent their music as passionately and artfully. The show moved me and the rest of the audience. The songs spoke so clearly to our hearts it was almost as if they were “Playing for an audience of one.”
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