Brandon Flowers
November 9, 2010
Fox Theater in Pomona
Stepping out from his day job in the multi-platinum band the Killers, Brandon Flowers magically found time to record a solo album entitled Flamingo. The cheers from the crowd were deafening when Flowers emerged from the shadows. A lone spotlight shone upon Flowers during “On The Floor” as the twinkling lights set the mood for the dusky guitar chords. Fresh from a round of European dates, Flowers and his backing band were in top shape.
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The stage was decorated with props from the Flamingo
album cover along with a handful of spotlights. “Crossfire” doubled the
energy level in the Fox Theater as Flowers emphatically engaged the
audience by yelling “C'mon!” standing on top of a riser before singing
the anthemic chorus. Flowers was in a chatty mood explaining that
“Magdalena” was about someone who gets in trouble while trying to turn
over a new leaf and embarks on a pilgrimage.
album cover along with a handful of spotlights. “Crossfire” doubled the
energy level in the Fox Theater as Flowers emphatically engaged the
audience by yelling “C'mon!” standing on top of a riser before singing
the anthemic chorus. Flowers was in a chatty mood explaining that
“Magdalena” was about someone who gets in trouble while trying to turn
over a new leaf and embarks on a pilgrimage.
“Bette
Davis Eyes” was a perfectly suited cover for Flowers's vocal range as
he added a Las Vegas lounge vibe to the song. A catchy percussive
acoustic guitar riff propelled “Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts” as
Flowers acted out the lyrics and confidently strode across the stage.
Explaining that he was from the city Henderson in Nevada, Flowers
mentioned he used to get excited about seeing the “Welcome To Fabulous
Las Vegas” sign on his way to Las Vegas before playing an acoustic
rendition of song employing the sign's title.
Davis Eyes” was a perfectly suited cover for Flowers's vocal range as
he added a Las Vegas lounge vibe to the song. A catchy percussive
acoustic guitar riff propelled “Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts” as
Flowers acted out the lyrics and confidently strode across the stage.
Explaining that he was from the city Henderson in Nevada, Flowers
mentioned he used to get excited about seeing the “Welcome To Fabulous
Las Vegas” sign on his way to Las Vegas before playing an acoustic
rendition of song employing the sign's title.
Flowers
appreciation for British music was apparent in the guitar jangle of
“Was It Something I Said?” that was reminiscent of The Smiths. The crowd
energy level surged again when Flowers introduced “Losing Touch” as an
oldie but goodie with many fans singing along to the Killers tune. With a
penchant for strong song hooks, “Only The Young” was retooled with some
additional muscular guitars as Flowers nearly screaming the refrain.
appreciation for British music was apparent in the guitar jangle of
“Was It Something I Said?” that was reminiscent of The Smiths. The crowd
energy level surged again when Flowers introduced “Losing Touch” as an
oldie but goodie with many fans singing along to the Killers tune. With a
penchant for strong song hooks, “Only The Young” was retooled with some
additional muscular guitars as Flowers nearly screaming the refrain.
After
the western vibe of “The Clock Was Tickin'”, an acoustic version of
“When You Were Young” had the entire Fox Theater in Pomona singing along
like Flowers was leading a sermon. The fact that his tour ends in the
beginning of December leads me to believe Flowers may make an appearance
at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show to close out the year.
the western vibe of “The Clock Was Tickin'”, an acoustic version of
“When You Were Young” had the entire Fox Theater in Pomona singing along
like Flowers was leading a sermon. The fact that his tour ends in the
beginning of December leads me to believe Flowers may make an appearance
at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show to close out the year.
Fran Healy of Travis opened the show with a charming set featuring selections from his solo album Wreckorder.
Opening with a Travis song “Writing To Reach You,” Healy easily engaged
the crowd with his hilarious stage banter and stories behind each song.
“Fly In the Ointment” and “As It Comes” were stand outs in his way too
brief of a set.
Personal Bias: Highly likely that I will be catching the show tomorrow at the Wiltern.
Crowd: Killers fans for sure.
Overheard in the Crowd: “Wonder if he will play some stuff from the Killers?!”
Random Notebook Dump: How awesome was it to hear “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel in between bands?
Setlist:
“On The Floor”
“Crossfire”
“Magdalena”
“Bette Davis Eyes”
“Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts”
“Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas”
“Was It Something I Said?”
“Hard Enough”
“Losing Touch”
“Swallow It”
“Only The Young”
“Playing With Fire”
Encore:
“The Clock Was Tickin'”
“When You Were Young”
